


Innocence Lost

by YesGirl



Category: A Plague Tale: Innocence (Video Game)
Genre: Blood and Gore, Dead Dove: Do Not Eat, F/M, Mentions of Character Death, Stockholm Syndrome, Unhealthy Obsession, Unhealthy Relationships, mental and physical abuse
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-01-09
Updated: 2020-06-30
Packaged: 2021-02-27 04:21:07
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Rape/Non-Con, Underage
Chapters: 8
Words: 25,448
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22180948
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/YesGirl/pseuds/YesGirl
Summary: Amicia knew one thing: Never get caught. And when she fails to do so, she's placed in the hands of a very dark and cruel man. With no way out, she has to endure to stay alive. This coupled with the growing rat problem, Amicia's life just got a whole lot harder.Based around if Nicholas grew an unhealthy obsession with Amicia.
Relationships: Amicia De Rune/Nicholas
Comments: 30
Kudos: 146





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This story is going to be dark. Maybe not too dark, but dark nonetheless. Also, I changed Amicia's age from 15 to 17 and Nicholas(in this story) has a set age of 36.
> 
> All character belong to their original owner! I, in no way, own the characters portrayed in this story.

If Amicia was to pinpoint one thing from her childhood that brought back happy memories, it would have been the forest. She loved the forest. With it's dense trees, deep creeks, and beautiful scenery, Amicia de Rune loved everything about it. That was until the tragic slaughtering of her father and the vicious hunt for her and her brother brought on by the Inquisition. 

Now, Amicia couldn't find much joy in anything. Not when she had to be focused on running. Running for her and Hugo's life. 

"Amicia, I'm hungry," Hugo's voice was quiet next to her. Quiet yet it still was loud enough to gain the attention of a guard nearby. 

"I know Hugo but please bare with it for now. I promise to find us something to eat once we escape from here," Her words were hushed and barely audible but a nod from Hugo was all she needed to know he heard her. 

The footfalls of the guard approaching them were loud, loud enough to muffle the sounds of the siblings as they crawled their way through the tall grass they were hidden in. Somehow, they had found themselves in the middle of a campsite. One clearly meant for the Inquisition soldiers. They were playing a dangerous game, but they had to pass through the campsite to get back to the castle. 

The quick thinker she was, Amicia sought for some kind of distraction. There was a crate full of armor not far to the left but to hit it with her sling would mean inching closer and with the tall grass ending just outside of her line of fire, she had to come up with an entirely different plan. She had only one pot on her but it'd be enough for her to distract the guards attention away from them just long enough for them to escape. 

The moment the guard turned his back, Amicia chucked the pot as hard as she could in the opposite direction of where they were running to. It worked splendidly and the siblings managed to cut across the clearing without being seen. Now, they were huddled behind a large wooden box Just to the right of them was the forest. If she could usher them into the treeline before a guard saw them, they'd be scot-free. But, along with everything else in life, it wasn't as easy said as it was done. 

All around them were guards. If Amicia had to guess, she'd say there were 5 or 6 of them and no hiding spots but the one she was currently crouched behind. She was stuck in every sense of the word. 

Cursing to herself quietly, she wracked her mind for any escape routes, even if they brought them back to where they started. When she found none, she steeled herself with what she had to do instead. If she couldn't sneak by them then she'd have to plough through. It wasn't the most ideal plan, but if she could time her attacks just right then she and Hugo would be able to escape safely. Peaking her head out just enough to see what she was up against, Amicia wanted very badly to curse her lousy luck.

What she thought was 5 or 6 guards turned out to be much much more. 

There were guards stationed to the left and to the right of her and a few loitering about in the middle. They looked to be waiting for something, but Amicia wasn't sure what. Whatever, or whoever, it was, she didn't want to stick around and find out. 

Fortunately for her, very few of the guards had helmets on. This made it easier for her to take out a few of the guards. She had 7 stones in the pouch on her hip, and 6 of the 9 guards were helmet-less. If she could aim and time her hits just right, she might be able to take down 3 or 4 of them before they had to run. 

Readying her sling, Amicia gathered as much courage she could before standing up quickly and aiming for the first guard she saw. Only, instead of firing she simply balked at what was ahead of her.

In front of her were the guards all lined up with their backs to her. In front of them stood a man on his horse. A man she loathed with her entire heart and soul. Standing just 10 meters before her stood Lord Nicholas; the very man who had ruined her life by raiding her home and killing her parents. 

Her heart gave a pained squeeze in her chest at the memory of that fateful night. She still dreamt of their deaths. Still dreamt of the screams, of the blood and stench of death. It haunted her every moment of every day. 

In her reverie, Amicia had forgotten just where she was. A deadly mistake on her part but quickly righted when she crouch back down behind the crate. Beside her Hugo tugged at her sleeve. His hushed questions were barely heard through the thundering of her heart in her ears. 

What she could hear, though, was the deep voice of Lord Nicholas as he spoke to the guards in front of him. 

"Have you found any trace of the boy?" His voice sent cold shivers down her spine and pooled into an acid pit in her stomach. Just the sound of him put her so on edge that she was ready to say screw it all and bolt in the opposite direction of him. 

The thud and clank of armor as he dismounted his sent spikes of terror into her heart. Why was he dismounting if not to look around? And if he was to look around he'd surely find them. 

We can't be caught...not when we're this close!

Steeling herself for the run of her life, Amicia grabbed hold of Hugo's hand and gave it a quick squeeze. A brief moment of eye contact said it all: If I do not make it out alive, run as fast and as far as you can to safety.

With that, the siblings shot up from their hiding spot and bolted as fast as they could to the treeline on their right.

The only indicator that they had been seen was the yells of the guards as they ran after them. That and the terrifying sound of hooves following closely behind them and getting uncomfortably closer by the second. 

Amicia knew they couldn't out run a horse, so she made up her mind and let go of her brother's hand. 

"Run, Hugo! Don't stop running until you've reached the castle!" She yelled when Hugo abruptly turned to see why she'd let go of him. 

The sound of hooves hitting the ground grew louder and louder by the second and dread built up to a near tipping point when she turned around only to see Nicholas almost right upon her. 

"Amicia!" Hugo's screams were drowned out by the hooves and her own screams.

"RUN!" Amicia had her sling at the ready, aiming directly for the horse's eye. She couldn't turn around to see if Hugo had listened to her or not but injuring the hose would stall Nicholas enough for him to if he hadn't. 

The moment she slung the rock at the horse's eye, she sent a small prayer up to the Gods to help protect her brother and hopefully her, too. 

The sound of heavy impact on the ground and a furious snarl had Amicia's heart plummeting to her stomach. She had barely enough time to turn around to see Hugo vanishing behind the treeline and out of sight before she felt a metal hand gripping her neck in a vice. 

"Stupid child," Came the rasped out voice of the man in black armor. "He may be gone, but I've you now. It won't be long before he shows up looking for you. You've seemingly delivered him to me in a silver platter."

With that, Nicholas raised his free hand and brought it heavily down upon Amicia's temple. It wasn't long before her vision began to swim and her balance teetered. The last thing she saw before she fell unconscious was the ground as it came rushing to her face.


	2. Chapter 2: Caught

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is where it starts getting dark.

A splitting headache was what Amicia woke up to. Her head felt as if it had been squeezed with all the might of a God, and the pain only intensified when she opened her eyes to the bright light in the cell she was in. 

It took her several minutes to gain enough energy to sit up to evaluate her room. Everything hurt. From down to her feet and up to her head. The clenching pain of hunger did nothing to help, either. 

Surveying her surroundings, Amicia learned that not only was she in a cell but she was in what looked to be solitary confinement. The door was a heavy wood with metal spikes protruding from it, which, Amicia thought, was to stop prisoners from trying to break down the door. The only window in the room was high above her and even it had reinforcements on it. It was tiny, too. Tiny enough so that even Hugo wouldn't fit through it. That was if it didn't have metal bars through it. 

The light she had seen was from the torches on either side of the cell. Both were high up. Even standing on her tippy toes Amicia couldn't reach them. She was relieved to have light, though. Judging from the lack of it coming from the tiny window, she assumed it was nighttime or at least nearing it. This meant the rats were bound to come pouring out eventually. She shuddered at the thought of them. 

"Hugo..." Her mind went straight to her brother. Amicia could only hope that he was safe and sound at the castle by now. She knew not of how long she had been out, but she hoped in the time period that she was that Hugo had managed to make it to the castle where Lucas and the others were. If he had, she knew he was safe. Lucas and Melie would protect him, that she knew. 

It felt like hours she was sitting there in her cell before she heard the muffled sounds of heavy foot falls just outside the cell door. She hoped it wasn't Him, but knew better than to expect anyone different. 

When the door swung open to reveal the man in black armor, Amicia knew she was royalty fucked. Though his face was covered from his helmet, she could still feel the anger radiating from his stare. She was terrified but didn't want to show it to the likes of him. 

"Bastard! Where have you taken me?!" She was up on her feet in no time, hand reaching for her hip where her sling should have been. 

Feeling nothing but empty air, Amicia panicked. Even her rock pouch was done. Everything on her was gone expect for her clothes. 

"And what have you done with my sling and pouch? Where have you put them? Tell me!" The desperation and fear was palpable in her shaking voice.

The man merely tilted his head at her before taking a step towards her, letting the door fall shut behind him. Terrified as she was, Amicia held her ground. She trembled with each step he took in her direction. 

"Tell me where this castle of yours is," Was his only response to her. He didn't answer her questions, just asked one of his own. 

It wasn't long before he was standing only a breathe away from her, his towering height only adding to the list of reasons why he intimidated her. Her silence only seemed to agitated the man.

"Now! Before I lose my patience with you, girl," Once again he had a hand wrapped around her throat. The cool metal of his gauntlet was a stark contrast to the warmth of her skin and it sent shivers down her spine. 

"N-no," Amicia squeezed her eyes shut and tried to gather her strength to fight him if need be. "I will never tell you where it is. Never!" 

This, of course, was the wrong answer. She learned this by getting a metal backhand against her cheek. Though it hurt and brought tears to her eyes, it wasn't enough to knock her unconscious. 

"I'll give you one last chance to tell me where it is before I delve into more...," He paused as if thinking for a moment. If Amicia could see his face she was sure she'd see an evil sneer on it. "...butal techniques."

Silence hung heavy in the air. The only thing to be heard was her heavy breathing and even that stopped when Nicholas gripped her throat tightly to the point of choking her. The lack of air made her woozy and unstable. Her hands clumsily grasped at his wrists in a weak attempt to pull his hands away from her neck but, to no avail. 

This went on until she was near blue in the face and slumped against the cold metal of the man's armored chest. Only when she started seeing stars did he finally let her go. She fell backwards with a hard shove from the Lord and fell onto her rear painfully. 

Coughs and gags bunched off the cell walls as Amicia tried to regain her composure. Her peace didn't last long, however, and Nicholas was back in front of her. He had crouched down, his knees spread wide and his elbows resting upon them. In his hands was something shiny. She couldn't quite make out just what it was though. It was long and skinny; clearly metal. Her mind screeched to a halt when he held it up for her to see. 

It was a syringe with some amber liquid in its vial.

"Shot...?" She croaked out. Her throat hurt badly and talking only worsened the pain. 

A quiet hum came from the man crouch before her. 

"Not just any shot, girl. This," He held the needle up higher as if to solidify his point. "Will be your undoing." 

With that, he grabbed ahold of her arm and pulled her sleeve up just enough to gain access to her inner elbow where he promptly shoved the needle into her skin and injected her with the amber fluid.

White hot pain spread from where the needle injected her up to her neck in a matter of seconds. The scream of pain that followed was the first of many to come that night as the pain continued to spread through her blood stream. 

The pain was so intense and consuming that she didn't noticed when Nicholas had left. All of her thoughts were on how much agony she was in and how painful it all was. 

Her blood felt as if it were on fire and her skin felt like hot coal. She clawed at her throat when the burning reached her neck. Blood flowed freely from her self inflicted wounds but she didn't care. Everything hurt.

Her blood felt like fire in her veins. 

Her screams of anguish continued on for several hours before Amicia succumbed to the blinding pain and passed out in a pool of her own blood, tears, and sweat.


	3. Chapter 3: Ruins of My Innocence

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> WARNING: graphic depictions of rape!

Perhaps it was the sunlight streaming through the small window or, more likely, it was her aching body that awoke Amicia, she didn't know. Her throat burned, head throbbed, and chest ached something fierce. Of course she knew why. How could she not? Last night had been the most excruciating night of her life. It even rivaled the first night of losing her parents. 

As she lay on her back in her small cell, Amicia tried to think of the brighter side to things. One, it wasn't dark out, so no rats. Two, while she had been caught, Hugo had not. Three, things could always be worse. 

She was snapped out of her thought by the sound of the door opening. Too mentally and physically exhausted to move, though, Amicia opted to stay laying down. For what could they do any worse to her than what she had endured last night? Kick her? Surely it wouldn't hurt as badly as last night's pain.

A few moments of silent bliss passed between her and the unknown person. That was until rough hands reached down to grab her. She could only wince in pain as she was hoisted to her feet by a man she'd never seen before. 

"It'd be in yer best interest to keep quiet and follow me, Lass," A heavily accented voice came from the dirty looking man standing before her. 

More than anything she wanted to refuse and put up a fight but, with the bone-deep exhaustion still coursing through her, Amicia could only bite her tongue and follow orders. Albeit rather slowly. 

The two walked down several hallways, each filled with prisoners who looked closer to death than a corpse. Some, she thought, probably were corpses. 

It took them all of two minutes to reach a heavily reinforced door. The hall they'd come down was void of people, with the only exception being her and the man in front of her. She tried her best to remember the way back to her cell. If she wasn't mistaken, there was a possible exit a hallway left of her cell that could aide in her future escape. Which, of course, she had to plan first. 

A knock and a gruff, "Come in." later and Amicia was standing in front of none other than her captor. 

"Leave us," He spoke to the man beside Amicia but she had a feeling his eyes never left hers while he did. She gave herself props when she didn't flinch at the loud slamming of the door when it was closed. 

A staring match ensured for what seemed like hours but was really a minute or two before Nicholas spoke. 

"Tell me," He stepped closer, his body being so close to hers only magnified just how big he really was. What was that story mother always read to her when she was younger? The one with the Big Bad Wolf who ate the little girl? "How did last night fare for you, little De Rune?" 

At this, her eyes narrowed into slits. Surely he was jesting? He had to have known her night was a living hell, and was just trying to get a rise out of her by poking fun at her. Well, it had worked marvelously.

"Fuck you," was her spat out response to his teasing. The last time she used such curses was when she was 14 and had broken a bone- her wrist- for the first time in her life. 

A deep chuckle emitted from the man. "Such vulgar words coming from a child..." Before she could blink, a steel-covered hand grabbed a handful of her hair. With a twist of his wrist, her head was yanked painfully to the side and her neck was bared. 

The action of baring her neck felt so intimate and embarrassing that she just couldn't help the tears gathering in her eyes. Hadn't he hurt her enough? 

"Stop the theatrics and tell me where your brother is. Tell me and this will all be over with." His helmet clad face was so close to hers that Amicia could have sworn she smelt his breath through the ventilation slits. It smelt strongly of alcohol. 

"I refuse. I'd rather die than rat out my own flesh and blood!" Anger spiking again, Amicia gathered the rest of her strength and aimed her balled up fist at the side of his helmet where she estimated was his temple. 

The blow was softened by the steel but seemed to have the desired effect as she was promptly let go when he staggered back.

Amicia took this as her chance to escape and bolted to the door only to find it locked. A string of unladylike curses fell from her mouth while she tried fighting to get the door open. No matter how hard she slammed against it or shook the handle, it remained closed. 

Her actions were halted by a hand slamming just inches from her head. 

"That," The voice behind her spoke in a low growl, "was a mistake." 

Before she could turn around to defend herself, he had his body flush against hers, pinning her to the door. It was uncomfortable and effective in halting her movements. 

A hand once more snaked into her hair. This time, though, it pulled back and slammed her face into the door with such force it made her teeth vibrate in her skull. Or maybe the impact had loosened her teeth and now they were about to fall out. Amicia didn't know. She could only focus on the pain throbbing in her nose and forehead. Warmth soon covered her mouth, chin, and neck, a coppery taste accompanying it. 

Dazed, Amicia could only try her best to remain conscious when she was wretched from the door by her hair. Her back collided into something hard, effectively knocking the remaining breath from her lungs. 

"You thought last night was bad? Just wait, girl. I'll show you just how painful things can really get." Nicholas snarled into her ear before shoving her onto the floor. 

Her efforts to crawl up onto her hands and knees were fruitless, her movements being hendered by a heavy boot pushing her back onto the stone floor. Eventually she wore herself out and stayed sprawled out on the floor. 

"I fucking hate you." It was whispered but still rang clear in the silent room. 

She was met with a chuckle from above her. The foot that was placed on her back added more pressure, which in turn left her breathless and feeling squished. If this was what bugs felt like when they were squished by someone stomping on them then Amica swore to never do it again. 

"You can never make things easy for yourself, can you? Always have to make things so difficult." The pressure was finally lifted from her back moments later. Her ragged breaths were the only thing heard in the room until the sound of metal hitting the floor beside her startled her, making her entire body flinch at the sound.

After some inspection, Amicia realized that the objects were gauntlets. Steel gauntlets that had previously been on Nicholas' arms. 

Dread settled deep into her stomach as more sounds of metal hitting the floor filled her ears. Shock froze her in place when nearly an entire suit of armor lay on the ground next to her in a pile. 

A rough hand gripped the back of her neck, holding her still. It was needless, though, as she was already frozen in fear. The other hand roamed down her arm and then to her side. The touch was almost gentle, which both confused and frightened Amicia to no end. She could be oblivious sometimes but she wasn't completely stupid. She knew what awaited her and it made the tears gather back into her eyes. Small sobs followed soon after. 

"Please, stop!" Her voice was muffled by the stone but she knew he could still hear her. If the tightening of his hand around her neck meant anything, at least. 

"Begging so soon? My, my, Amicia, I expected better from you." The wandering hand made it way lower down her waist until it came to a rest on the swell of her hip. The entire situation was too intimate for her to bare. 

She'd only ever been touched this way once in her life and it had been by a boy she liked. He was so gentle with her, so kind and loving that Amicia longed for more of his touches. The hands upon her now were rougher and bigger and the touch itself was aggressive and forceful. So very different from the last time she had been touched. It scared her. 

"Don't hurt me. Please, not in this way," If the crack in her voice was noticed, Nicholas at least spared her the humiliation of pointing it out.

"You should have thought of the consequences before defying me, little girl. Now you can only face the punishment being dealt to you." With that, the hand on her hip viciously ripped off the ribbon tied around her waist and threw it to the side. Moments later she felt the same hand tugging down her pants. 

All she could do was sob in panic and fear as her pants were dragged down to the middle of her thighs. A body pressed down on hers a second later. A chest pressed to her back and a groin ground against her ass. 

His erection was pressed against her ass when he released her neck and brought his lips to her ear. In her frantic state, she barely registered that meant he had no helmet on. She always wanted to know what he looked like. Was he was ugly as his personality? But now she didn't think she could stomach putting a face to her soon-to-be rapist. 

"You're young. Unmarried. Untouched. Still a child, but that changes soon. You'll learn that pain can be brought in all ways, wench, and maybe, just maybe, you'll cooperate a little bit better after this. I'm going to ruin you." A hand forced her thighs apart, fingers gripping her pale flesh tightly, no doubt leaving bruises behind. 

Neither herself nor the previous boy had touched her there before. Nobody had. But now she was being violated in the worst way by a man she hated the most. 

All she could do was cry out as fingers forced their way into her. They were dry and the friction made the pain that much worse as they pushed deep inside of her, to places where she had never been touched before. 

In a last ditch effort to stop the inevitable, she tried to appeal to his humanity. "I'm sorry! Please, stop! I don't want this, please, stop thi-" a hand wrapped itself around her throat and squeezed until she could no longer breath or speak.

"Shut the fuck up," A snarl sounded beside her ear as his fingers dove deeper and harder into her cunt. The movements were less jerky and forced as the blood from her torn hymen coated his fingers. That didn't mean the pain was any less severe, though. Her entire bottom half felt as if it were on fire.

He only let go of her throat when his other hand withdrew from her thighs. He held it in front of her face as if his blood coated fingers were a trophy to be admired. As if what he had taken from her was some sick prize. 

"How does it feel to know you'll never have this back again?" His breath was hot against her ear but not as hot as the shame washing over her as she lay there crying and praying to God to forgive her. 

Her cries only grew louder when she was roughly rolled over onto her back. Her hands shot up to hide her face as she sobbed out her pain and embarrassment. She barely even noticed when he had taken off her pants completely. She was bare from the waste down when he spread her legs and settled in between them with a grunt. 

Her crying was cut short by large hands tugging up her shirt forcefully. The shirt caught her arms and could go no further, to Amicia's relief. It was short-lived, though. Nicholas grabbed her wrists in a vice and pulled them above her head. With her arms straightened out, he easily slid the shirt from her body and tied it in a way that it bound her hands tightly together above her. 

Startled by the cold stone pressed against the flesh of her back, she instinctively arched off the floor and subsequently into the chest of Nicholas who merely smirked down at her. 

And, for a moment, Amicia's world slowed down. For the man above her wasn't hideous or disfigured as she had thought he'd be. He wasn't even ugly. No, instead the man was handsome. So handsome that it made the breath in her lungs stall. The man above her looked like an Adonis and this angered and frustrated her to no end. 

Why did such a heartless, evil man have to be so physically appealing? He was a demon in human skin, a monster that lurked behind a handsome figure. 

His lips curved into a half smile, half sneer as he ground his hips against her sex. The tough material of his pants rubbed her most sensitive areas in a painful way. To add on more misery, a hand cupped her naked breast and squeezed. 

It all became too much as Amicia burst into tears once more, her head shaking 'no' with every thrust of his hips against hers. 

"No more! You've already taken what you wanted, don't subject me to more..." her voice was weak and scratchy from her crying and screaming. Added on to the fact that he'd choked her didn't make talking any easier. Even swallowing was becoming difficult from the pain within her throat. 

"No, I've only taken a small portion of what I want, little girl. By nightfall, I will have everything I want from this body of yours." A hand went to undo his belt and pull his pants down. Another nudge against her thigh had her legs falling wide open for his easy access to her sex.

The fingers he had shoved into her sex had paled in comparison to the thick girth of his manhood as it split her open and shoved deep into her virgin cunt. The pain was so great it left her dizzy and feeling faint. 

Grabbing her hips, Nicholas set forth a brutal pace. The sound of skin slapping against skin filled the room. The smell of blood, sweat, and sex soon followed thereby after. Her screams and cries of pain did nothing to deter him and neither did her struggling. Several minutes of brutal fucking later and Amicia felt a twinge of something she felt ashamed of.

She bit her lip hard but it did nothing when he slammed into a place that sent sparks throughout her entire body. The moan that followed slipped past her lips unbidden and unwanted. Disgust and shame gripped fiercely at her heart. Why was she enjoying this? 

No...no no NO!

Moans continued to fall past her lips as he kept pummeling that certain spot with all he had, hands holding her hips so tightly his own fingers had turned white. 

"Enjoying yourself? I never took you to be a common whore, Amicia." She knew he only wanted to hurt her and it had worked. It worked so well, in fact, that she could have sworn she felt her heart shatter in her chest. 

"N-no..." A weak reply from a weakened girl. 

He pounded into her faster and harder than he ever had, the force of his thrusts jolting her body roughly. His face lowered just enough for his whisper to reach her ears. 

"You know, I just might keep you. You warm my cock nicely, little whore." A dark chuckle followed when she let loose a pathetic whimper. 

She couldn't respond, though, as seconds later a mouth was pressed against hers. Lips, teeth, and tongue briefly distracted her from the brutal pace that seemed to only get more violent as time went on. 

A deep growled out moan vibrated against her lips after a while. His hips slammed hard into her, burying his cock to the hilt inside of her. She could feel the pulse of him in the cradle of her hips as he spent his seed inside of her womb. It felt degrading and more defiling than the rape itself. It felt as if he had burned his very own personal brand into her body by being the first to spill his seed into her. 

The thought of being marked forever his made her sob against his mouth. As if reading her mind, he confirmed her fears, "You're mine now, little girl, and mine you will stay until I decided to rid myself of you." With that, he pressed another filthy kiss to her swollen lips and slid from her aching core. He whistled from above her, admiring the way her sex leaked cum and blood onto the floor beneath her. 

Her tears were dried and all that was left was the aching pain she felt inside of her. That and the pain in her chest as her heart broke in two at the sight of his blood and cum covered manhood. 

She truly was ruined. 

He had kept his word and had ruined her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Question: Should this be the final chapter of this very short fic or should it be longer? Let me know down in the comments. 
> 
> Thank you for reading! :')


	4. Chapter 4: Calm before the Storm

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I'm so sorry about the long wait :(( I've been a little busy recently but managed to find some free time to write a chapter down for y'all! It isn't edited yet so you may find some errors. I'll be going through this chapter soon to weed out any spelling errors or slip ups. Anyways, enjoy!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: Graphic(ish) depictions of rape. This is where we start seeing Nicholas forming an unhealthy obsession with Amicia. From now on it'll only get worse.

Everything hurt. From her head down to her toes, every hurt on Amicia. Her head pounded, stomach ached, and feet blistered, but none of it compared to the pain in her heart. With each day that passed in the prison, more and more of her sanity and hope left her. 

The feeling she got from it numbed her. She wasn't so sure if she'd make it out of the prison alive, or if she'd make it out at all. 

If she were to guess how long she'd been imprisoned she'd say a fortnight or more-- not yet a month but close. 

Her skin itched with the dried blood that clung to her, hair matted down to her scalp from the very same. All in all, Amicia knew she looked the same way she felt-- like hell incarnate. 

The only thing that seemed to keep her going was the thought of her brother; the thought of Hugo. She thought nightly of him, of all the others that she left behind at the castle. She thought of the peaceful nights together. Of all the stories and laughs they shared amongst one another. 

It was those thoughts and those thoughts alone that drove her forward. Even during the most darkest of nights when she'd be sent to the Devil himself-- Nicholas. 

The nights he had her were the most painful. They were the most excruciating and horrifying, more so than watching rats eat men alive in the cell in front of hers. The pain more blinding than rough treatment she got from the occasional frustrated guard looking for an outlet or punching bag. 

The worst of all about these nights, though, was the shame she felt afterwards. How the embarrassment of what she'd become would smother her to near suffocation. 

She hated feeling the soreness between her thighs. Hated the way his malicious eyes never left hers even as he defiled her in the worst way possible. 

The sound of skin on skin was nauseating to listen to. 

The smell of sweat and sex had her stomach rolling for hours even afterward. 

She tried to bring herself to a happy place-- to her childhood where she still had that innocence within her soul and happiness in her her-- but it never lasted long. It was always interrupted by his calloused hands groping her or his greedy lips sucking at her skin. 

The most horrible, vile thing about those nights, though, was when his hand would slip between their bodies, between her thighs, and rub at a spot that sent sparks up her spine. 

The most tragic part of the entire night happened when they both found their climax from each other-- when both, almost simultaneously, would combusting around the other and spiral into pure unadulterated ecstasy. 

It only lasted a few damned seconds before the shame would inevitably seep in. That was when the embarrassment and hatred for herself would consume her entirely. It ate at her mind and heart and made her believe that she had wanted it. How could she not if she found pleasure in it? 

Her crying never seemed to phase him. Instead it seemed to arouse him further. Every time she cried he'd press his filthy lips on her cheeks, eyes, forehead, neck... anywhere he could reach, and mumbled nauseatingly sweet-nothings to her. 

They were all lies, too. How could anyone find her beautiful when she was covered in blood, sweat, and dirt? How could she be perfect when she felt like a broken, debased whore. The lies that slipped from his lips only stung at her heart and brought on more tears. 

It was like this that they lay, with him still nestled between her thighs and lips pressed to her tear soaked cheeks, whispering just how beautiful and perfect she was. 

The throbbing she felt in the cradle of her hips had stopped but the pressure hadn't let up yet. The feeling of him lying on top of her was nearly suffocating. In fact, it made her almost claustrophobic. 

"Look at you," A calloused hand cupped her cheek, turning her head so that she may look upon her tormentor. "You take me so well now, almost as if your body was made for me." 

The sickening smile he sent down to her had Amicia clenching her teeth to stop any rebuttal from escaping her cracked lips. Oh how she longed to hurt him with sharp words and stinging insults, but knew they never ended with him hurt. They always ended with her being bruised even more and her abuse only increasing tenfold. 

Just thinking about how rough he had been the night she called him a sick, twisted child predator brought a cold sweat to her skin. The marks he made still hadn't left her body yet, and she could still feel the phantom pain in her power half where he had torn her. That night had hurt more than the first night she'd spent with him. 

His wet lips pressing against her brought her out of her reverie and back to the present. Those rough hands were back to grabbing her in her most tender places. When he spoke again she could feel the vibrations against her mouth.

"I have a surprise for you. You've been such a good girl for me this last week. Will you still be my well-behaved girl when I take you upstairs?" 

Her heart stuttered to a near stop in her chest.

Upstairs...

Upstairs meant she'd be near doors that led out of the compound, out of this hellhole, and back to home-- to the people she thought of as her family. 

Without even so much as blinking, she nodded. Her eagerness must have shown on her face as Nicholas let loose a loud, barking laugh from above her. His eyes crinkled in mirth. 

"Good. Now get dressed, I don't have all day." With that he stood, the movement so abrupt that the tug of him leaving her aching core sent gooseflesh raising on her skin. She tried her best to ignore the empty feeling she felt as she too stood up and dressed in the bloodied and dirty clothes strewn about on the floor. 

Though he wasn't stripped, Nicholas also wasn't armored. When she had met him in the room she now knew as his office, he had sat at the desk in just a loose black shirt and snug pants. His feet bore heavy boots but that was the most he was adorned with protection wise. The only thing that hinted at him being of a high status than the rest of the guards milling about was the necklace hanging from his throat. The chain itself looked to be made of steel while pendant was a cross riddled with jewels and precious stones. The necklace was polished and clearly well taken care of. As if it were a cherished belonging of the man. 

How he could cherish anything, let alone be a Christian, had Amicia stumped. 

Once dressed, they made their way out of the office and down the hallway. He lead the way, the sound of his boots heavy on the stone floor. Her were much softer and drowned out by his stomping. She would have laughed at how loudly he stomped about if it weren't for the nervous knots in her stomach. 

They were at the basement door in no time and the pounding of her heart in her ears nearly prevented her from hearing Nicholas as he spoke to her, back still turned to her. The sound of a lock sliding greeted her eager ears. The sound was almost heavenly. 

"Now, before we step outside we need to get one thing straight." His hand was on the doorknob but didn't move, as if he were frozen in place. "There will be no back talking me in front of my men, nor will there be any thoughts of running. The moment you act upon those thoughts will be the moment you die. Do you understand, girl?" The threat in his voice could be felt in her bones. Even with his back turned to her she could sense the dark promise in his eyes. 

"Y-yes..."

"Say it," Startled, Amicia stared dumbly at his back. 

When no answer came he whirled around and took hold of her throat in his palm, not squeezing but not gripping loosely, either. 

"Say. It. Now."

"I understand," A dark look sent her way had her scrambling for what she missed. "Sir..." 

A small, approving nod was all she got before he let go of her throat and pushed open the door. 

Another hallway lay before her, this one much less moldy and more taken care of, though. Even the air seemed less heavy. The smell of blood and death no longer lingered in the air. 

Amicia decided right then and there that she liked it up here a lot better. 

She followed Nicholas like a dutiful dog, her head held down and hands clasped in front of her whenever they'd pass someone. She did it to appear submissive, weak, but mostly she did it to be unnoticed. And for the most part she was. 

When they'd pass by larger groups she could hear their whispers as if they were screaming directly into her ear, but none of them hurt as badly as being called, "The Lord's whore". She hated that nickname most of all. She liked the names brat, trash, or even bitch more than she liked being called Nicholas' whore. 

More than anything she wanted to scream at the men and women they passed. To hurl poisonous words at them as to injure their pride like they had hers, but she knew just how much trouble she'd get into with Nicholas and didn't want to risk the punishment she knew would come. But she refused to appear weak when she'd pass by the group slandering her name. 

She'd square her shoulder and hold her head up high, making and keeping eye contact with each person she passed as if to say, "Fuck you. I never was and never will be beaten down." 

The looks they gave her were enough to satisfy her rage. 

Amicia walked behind Nicholas for a while. They went through a garden of sorts and all the while walking she was sucking in lungfuls of fresh air like she'd never breathe again. The sunshine against her skin felt absolutely amazing. The breeze that caressed her skin felt even better. Who knew that air could taste so sweet on the tongue? 

Amicia enjoyed being outdoors after spending weeks cooped up in a cellar with no fresh air and Nicholas seemed to catch onto this fact when he turned around and saw her ogling a rosebush beside her. Her fingers were tracing the delicate flowers gently and with care. Her touch was so soft that she could have sworn she weren't touching the flowers at all if it weren't for the droplets of water on the petals smearing on her skin in the process. Everything was so serene she barely even noticed when Nicholas crowed her from behind and wrapped his arms around her waist. 

She was startled at first but soon calmed when his lips pressed to the shell of her ear. He said nothing as he held her. The heavy weight of his arms and the warmth of his breath were the only things that hinted he was even holding her. 

And damn her for this but in a way she... liked it. 

She'd fallen so high from her moral ground that she was now enjoying the touch of her abuser. The thought ruined the moment in seconds and had Amicia slipped out of the arms encasing her. With her back down turned to the rosebush, she did her best not to look at Nicholas and marched in the direction they had been before they stopped. 

The sound of boots thudding behind her grew louder as Nicholas caught up with her. His strides were twice of her own and ate up more space than hers did. 

Nicholas was tall. Taller than even most of the men she knew and saw. She, herself, barely came up to his chest. Her head just barely reaching his collarbones. It didn't help with the fact that he was quite literally double her size as well. His broad shoulders were thick with muscle and his back was no different. She knew this, of course, every intimately. The sight of him fully nude in front of her was still burned into the back of her eyes. 

They walked side by side for the longest time before her felt a hand settle on her lower back and guide her gently to the left and up a pair of stairs. The hand never detached itself from her, though. There it stayed until they stopped in front of another door. This one was a lot less armoured than the basement one. It did have some ornate carvings carved into it. It looked to be a bedchanber door. 

Once opened by another key Nicholas seemed to pull from no where, she was proven correct. The room that lay before her looked to be for lounging and perhaps entertaining guests. When she stepped inside she could see it branched off into two opposite directions. One on the left side of the room and the other on the right. On the wall farther from her sat a couch and chairs for a sitting spot. Beside her nearest the door was an unlit fireplace. Logs sat idly beside it on a rack. The floor was stone but had a rug of sorts lain upon it. 

The rug was pretty. It was red and black with tracings of gold woven into the unique pattern and by the looks of it it was soft too. 

Unknowingly, Amicia had wandered farther into the room than she thought. She only then realized her mistake when she heard the door shutting behind her and the lock clicking with a finality she didn't like. She never liked being locked in a room with no way to escape, especially if the room held a predator in it. 

Silence hung in the air for a long moment before Nicholas spoke from behind her. 

"These are my personal chambers and they will he yours as well if you continue to behave," The warning wasn't was much as heard from his words as it was felt. Be good and she'd stay here, be bad and she'd go back the the basement and be put in that cell again. Usually she'd pick dingy cellar over sleeping next to the Devil himself, but the thought of going back into the death infested basement appealed far less to her than sharing a bed with Nicholas. 

Perhaps she'd hit her head one too many times during her stay? She didn't know, but the truth of the situation-- her willingness to sleep next to her rapist rather than alone in a cold-- disturbed her to no end. She'd rather have an excuse as to why she would agree to such terms without so much as batting an eye. 

"I brought you here because I am to be gone for the foreseeable future," He paused from behind her, trying to read her body language as he spoke. Amicia struggled not to breathe a sigh of relief and not to let her shoulders sag too much. "And I had hoped you'd keep my bed warm until I return. If I hear of you trying to escape, though, you'll be thrown back into your cell and left to rot." 

Amicia didn't trust herself to speak and instead nodded. It was stiff and jerky but seemed to please the man behind her. 

He brushed passed her and made his way to the hallway to the left of the room, a wave of his hand the only indication that he wanted her to follow him. 

The hallway was short and held two doors. Nicholas ignores the first one all together as he marched almost purposefully to the farther door on the right. Once opened Amicia could see that it was a bedroom. The room was bland other than the bed, a few dressers, and a nightstand. The bed was the most eye catching thing in the room with its red blankets. The bed was made and Amicia could just barely make out the grey sheets beneath. The bed was also a lot bigger than the one Amica used to have. It looked like how her parents did. Like it was meant to be shared. 

"These are our private chambers," The hand was back on the small of her back. "This is where you'll spend most of your time." The double meaning of his words didn't escape her. Had he only brought her here to fuck her more? 

She didn't get to think for long as soon she was dragged from her spot at the door and to the bed. Her struggle was short lived and weak. The feeling of the bed as she was pushed gently onto it was euphoric. She hadn't been on a bed in what felt like eons and to finally have one beneath her felt like heaven. She couldn't even find the strength or the will to protest as she was pushed onto her back. 

Hands and lips were on her within moments and still Amicia could only marvel at out soft the bed was beneath her. Perhaps it was be less painful when he took her on a mattress rather than the hard ground. His kisses were almost gentle as he made his way up her neck and to her mouth. The feeling had something inside of Amicia aching but not in a bad way. 

Amicia had never kissed him back. Not once had she felt the need to reciprocate his filthy, lust-fulled kisses until now. Maybe it was the soft bed she lay upon or the fresh air filling her lungs-- no longer heavy with the stench of death, blood, and shit-- that had her lips twitching ever so slightly against his own. Whatever it may be it fogged her mind and stopped all rational thoughts from entering her head. 

The kiss was slow and lazy, but held a spark of desire in it. Their lips only disconnected when Nicholas pulled away with a groan. The looks on his face was one of annoyance. It wasn't directed at her but it still made Amicia nervous. 

"You do things to me, little girl, that no woman ever has," Eyes the color of evergreen locked into hers and stared with all the intensity of the sun. "I hate to leave so soon but I must. I will be back within a week. Behave and be a good girl for me and you'll be rewarded." He stopped down once more to press a quick kiss to her lips before completely detaching himself her her body and standing up from where he half knelt, half leaned on the bed. 

"Feel free to explore your new home and try not to break anything." With that he turned and left. The only thing indicating he had left for good was the slam of the door and the sound of a lock clicked into place. 

Amicia lay on the bed for several minutes more. Her mind was still blissfully empty and she had no intention of ruining the rare peace she had within her head. 

____________________________

Four days had passed with Amicia in Nicholas' chambers. Four whole days to herself-- mostly. 

She still remembered waking up from her slumber on that first night to see a woman standing in the doorway looking sheepishly at her. It had nearly taken her to an early grave but the woman was quick to explain who she was and why she was there. Who knew Nicholas had maids? She knew he was a lord but did he really need people waiting on him? 

Amicia was happy for the company, though. The girl had to be no older than herself. Maybe two or three years older at the most but Amicia never asked. Over the two days the girls had become somewhat close. Amicia had learned her name was Minnie and that she was 19 years old. She also learned that Minnie could come and go as she pleased. Whether she was the one with a key or a guard standing outside the door had it, Amicia didn't know. All she knew was that Minnie would leave during the night and came back during mid-day. 

Minnie was a sweet girl. When Amicia had discovered a small washroom in the same hallway as the bedroom's, Minnie had helped Amicia prepare a bath for herself. When done, she had brush, oiled, and styled Amicia's hair in to an intricate braid even Amicia was impressed by. 

Amicia wished she could say she was surprised to find clothes in the dressers in the bedroom but she wasn't. They were a bit too big but they fit well enough. The shirts hung off of her shoulders and billowed around her, stopping just at her upper thigh. The pants were too long and had to be rolled up at the ankles as to not trip her whenever she walked but also managed to be a near perfect fit. Amicia was happy to be out of her old dirty clothes and into clean ones. She was even happier to finally be rid of all the dirt and blood that had caked on to her skin. 

The food that Minnie brought was almost always the highlight of Amicia's day. It wasn't like the bland slop they had given her down in the dungeon. It wasn't cold, either. Mostly she was served a piece of chicken with rice or potatoes and green beans, but she didn't mind eating the same thing as long as it wasn't what she had in the dungeon. 

Another thing Minnie brought with her was books. Every day she'd bring a new one in for Amicia to read. The chambers held nothing but a bedroom, washroom, and another room that she couldn't get open because it was locked. Amicia assumed it was another, more important, office of sorts that Nicholas wanted her to stay out of. So she had no entertainment but from the books she was brought. 

That and whenever Minnie could spare an hours or two with Amicia. The girls would sit and reminisce about life before the plague outbreak. Minnie was an orphan taken in by Nicholas when she was but a wee child. He wasn't a father figure to her in the traditional sense, but still kept her somewhat safe from most dangers that would befall a girl abandoned on the street. For this, Minnie told Amicia, she was eternally grateful to Nicholas and would serve him happily until he saw her useless. 

Hearing this has stamped any plans of asking Minnie to help her escape. It was disheartening but didn't put escape off her mind completely. It just meant she'd have to find another way. 

"Lord Nicholas should be arriving back by nightfall," Minnie had told her out of the blue.

The two girls had been sitting on the rug in front of the lit fireplace, side by side, reading from the same book before Minnie had interrupted the silence to speak. 

At first Amicia didn't know what to say. She wanted to groan, to show how that wasn't good news to her, but the joy in Minnie's voice had snuffed out any negative response from her. Amicia opted to simply nod her head to acknowledge Minnie but kept her mouth shut tightly. As much as she hated him she wasn't going to ruin her only friendship she had in this place by bad mouthing the man in front of one of his devote followers. Also, she didn't wish to think of what he'd do to her if word of her slandering his name came back to him.

"Listen, Amicia, I know that you do not particularly like his Lordship but please... just try to not hate him wholeheartedly. He isn't as bad as you think," Anger burst into Amicia's chest uninvited and it took everything she had in her not to scream at the girl; to yell out what he'd done to her family-- what he'd done to her. But before she could so much as open her mouth, Minnie had stood up and walked over to the door. She was out of the chambers before Amicia could get in a single word. 

She stayed sitting by the fire for what seemed like forever, never moving from her spot as she stared into the dancing flames. The warmth did nothing to thaw the ice she felt in her heart. 

Hours must have passed with Amicia staring at the flames before the sound of the door swinging open disturbed her peace and quiet. In the doorway stood Nicholas donned in his armour. Amicia hadn't noticed at the time but it was raing heavy outside. The clap of thunder nearly spooked her from where she sat. The flash of lightning in the darkening sky had dread pooling in her stomach. 

Nicholas' mood seemed to mirror the weather outside. From the way he slammed the door close to the way he completely ignored Amicia's existence and made his way to the locked room on the right. The sound of a door slamming shut put Amicia into action immediately. The way she shot up from the floor and bolted to the bedroom, one would have thought she saw a ghost and was going to hide under her blankets. 

She cowered on the bed with her knees drawn up to her chest, arms wrapped around herself, for a long time before she heard Nicholas approaching the bedroom door. It took all her strength not to burst into tears the moment the door was swung open with unnecessary force. The loud sound of the door smacking into the wall and slamming close moments later frightened Amicia. 

It seemed that her brief days of peace were over with. If the look Nicholas was sending her way had any meaning to it then she was back in Hell with the Devil himself. 

He stood at the foot of the bed, naked save for the pair of soaked pants that clung to his legs like a second skin. His bare chest heaved with deep breaths as if he were trying to calm himself down. Dark hair clung to his face and neck and dripped water everywhere. But the scariest part about him was his eyes. They bore into Amicia and raked over her shoving form on the bed with a hunger she wasn't used to. 

"Come here." Something in his voice said not to defy him. And, as much as she wanted to run the opposite way, Amicia instead forced herself to crawl over the bed and towards Nicholas. Once within arms reach of him, he grabbed her by the hair and dragged her flailing body into his. The sharp pain of having her hair pulled was nothing compared to the fear of what would happened to her later if she didn't cooperate with him. 

Nicholas was livid, that much as obvious. Amicia just didn't know if it was her that had pissed him off so badly. 

Rough, cold hands yanked her shirt above her head. The cry that left her lips only muffled by another pair, much colder and wetter than her own, pressing against hers. 

The kiss was as gentle as his touch-- that was to say it wasn't gentle at all-- and stole her breath away within moments. Once topless, Nicholas started working on her pants. His hands were rushed in tugging down her pants and underwear. Amicia knew what was to come and went to lay on her back on the bed only to be surprised when Nicholas yanked at her hair once more and brought her to her knees in front of him. 

The position was intimate. With her back pressed flush against the bed and her face nearly pressed against his groin, Amicia had no where to go but where Nicholas guided her. It all became very clear what he wanted her to do when he went to unbutton and unzip his pants. Mortification froze her in her place when he tugged himself free from his britches. 

Tears came flooding into her eyes the moment she felt his hand, still tangled in her hair, pull her head closer to his manhood. The feeling of skin pressing against her mouth almost had her gagging. 

"Open your mouth and don't you dare fucking bite." Amicia struggled a moment to turn her head away from the offending appendage pressed against her lips before her head was yanked back painfully by her hair and a slap was delivered to her cheek swiftly. It didn't hurt as much as it startled her, but the message was still there. 

The tears shining her in eyes did nothing to help her predicament. It only made it all the worse when she reluctantly eased her mouth open and let him guide himself into her mouth. The first thing she noticed was the taste. 

That awful taste. 

The moment he had entered her mouth she could taste him on her tongue and it did nothing to settle her already upset stomach.  
The further he pushed into her, the less she could breathe. He only stopped when he hit the back of her throat. The resulting gag sounded wet and choked out. The sound embarrased Amicia to no end. He only gave her a moment to regain herself before he pull back and thrust into her mouth as if fucking it. 

The next several minutes were filled with rough thrusts, gagging and choking until finally, he had managed to shove his entire length down her throat. 

Amicia could feel the way her throat stretched to accommodate his girth. She could also feel the way her nose was pressed almost fully against the coarse hairs of his groin. It was like this that he fucked into her viciously. 

The lack of oxygen and pain from having her throat fucked raw had Amicia feeling lightheaded within minutes. It wasn't long before she could feel her eyes start to roll into the back of her skull and the tell-tale swimming of her vision tell her she was on the brink of fainting. She didn't have to worry, though, as moments later she heard Nicholas growl out from above her and thrust one last time before spending himself down her throat.

She could feel the warmth of his seed as it slid down her throat and was grateful she couldn't taste it. She wasn't sure what she'd do if he made her taste it. Amicia didn't want to swallow but had no choice when her body instinctively clenched at the feeling of something trickling down her throat. It was the oddest feeling trying to swallow around something as big as his cock. It almost choked her but she managed to hold off long enough for him to pull out. The bitterness of the remaining cum had Amicia's nose wrinkling in distaste. 

Hands lifted her off the floor and cradled her quivering body to a warm chest. Soothing hands rubbed up and down her back as he lay them down on the bed, her body laying on his with her head nestled in his neck.

"Such a good girl," The soothing hands rubbed circles on the skin while lips pressed kisses to her temple. "So proud of you, ma colombe." 

Her throat ached something fierce but she ignored it in favor of trying to forget what she was just forced to do. Somehow what he had done felt more degrading than anything he'd ever done before. She just couldn't figure out why. 

Tears still leaked from her eyes and dripped onto the skin of his neck. Soft sniffles and the sound of his whispers were what Amica fell asleep to. 

In her dreams she called out for help. None ever came. Arms of steels snaked around her and held her prisoner as she cried in vain for someone to save her. 

It was then that Amicia understood one thing: If she wanted help-- wanted to be saved-- she'd have to do it herself.


	5. Chapter 5: Through Dark Times Comes the Light

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mild Violence and gore. Vague mentions of rape and abuse.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I love seeing the comments you all post! They really motivate me to write more. I especially love seeing the positive feedback I get! Hopefully you all enjoy this chapter as much as you did the last one.
> 
> If you happen to find any errors in my writing please tell me down below and I'll be quick to fix them.
> 
> Thank you for reading and enjoy!

Amicia never directly found out why Nicholas had come back so angered, or why he decided to take his frustrations out on her. It wasn't until days later when Minnie had told her what had happened while he was away. 

"Amicia? I have a question for you," Minnie spoke softly, as if being too loud would spook Amicia away. It was odd. Never once had Minnie been so timid before, not even when she found Amicia laying naked upon the bed with bruises littering her thighs and hips-- after seeing the aftermath of her abuse. 

"I'll try to answer as best as I can, but, be warned, if it's a question about alchemy then I'll be of no use-- that's Lucas's expertise." Amicia had spoken of Lucas quite a lot. She saw him as a friend and confidant. Thinking back on it she missed him dearly. The same could be said about Melie and her brother Arthur. Perhaps even Rodic, too. She missed them all. 

"Well, that's what I wanted to talk to you about..." The sentence trailed off, Minnie's shoulder caving toward her body as if defeated. Her expression showed one of shame and, if Amicia wasn't mistaken, regret as well. It unsettled her. 

"What about him? Has..." She could'nt bring herself to ask if he'd been hurt or worse-- killed. Minnie picked up on the unspoken question and sent Amicia an apologetic look. The breath was knocked from her lungs when she saw Minnie's head nod slowly. 

"Lord Nicholas went in pursuit of your brother, Hugo, and instead found two others from your group. He, well..." Another look full of condolence was sent her way, but it did nothing to stop the numbness creeping into her body. "He asked them to show him the way to Hugo but they refused. One of them attacked, and, in defense, Lord Nicholas killed him. The other one got away, though. I only know the names of the two; one being Lucas and the other being Arthur. I'm so sorry, Amicia. I don't know exactly if Lucas was the unfortunate one, but I'm sure it doesn't matter... I'm sorry for your loss." 

Amicia didn't know she was crying until a gentle hand wiped away the tears falling from her eyes. A warm body pressed against hers in a comforting way and arms squeezed her into a hug. The sobs that wracked her body shook Amicia down to her very soul.

Just the thought of Lucas being dead had a soul-crushing pressure spreading through her chest. And Arthur... if Arthur were dead that meant Melie was heart broken, too. Or worse, plotting revenge. The only light at the end of the tunnel was the fact that Hugo was still safe. That he hadn't been caught yet. 

"Lord Nicholas came back angry because his mission had failed. The Grand Inquisitor ordered him to catch your brother or not return, and when he returned empty handed, Master Vitalis was none too pleased." Minnie, to Amicia's disgust, sounded upset at the prospect of Nicholas being in trouble. "I'm telling you this so that you understand why Lord Nicholas is so tense as of late, so that you may understand and forgive him later when he is calmed down." 

Suddenly, the warm hands holding her no longer felt comforting. Instead they felt restricting and snake-like. As if they were there to hold her down or smother her

And it made Amicia so, so very angry. 

"I don't give a damn about him!" A hard shove had Minnie letting go of her immediately. Once free, Amicia stood from her spot on the couch and pointed an accusing finger at Minnie. The malice in her eyes must have been seen clearly as Minnie flinched away, arms held up in front of her as if she expected to be hit. Seeing her cower had Amicia feeling guilty, but not put out. "My family is dead because of him! My friends are being hunted like dogs by him! How could you expect me to ever forgive that man for what he's done to me? I refuse. I wish, with my entire being, that he'd been the one to die and not my family! Not my father and not my mother, but Him," She seethed at Minnie, absolutely livid.

Her anger overpowered the common sense she had in her brain and had her spewing out venomous words at Minnie in an act of lashing out. Amicia, for the first time, wanted Minnie to feel the pain she felt. She wanted Minnie to hurt like she did. 

Quiet sobs came from Minnie as she stayed curled up upon the couch in a defensive ball. For a long moment neither of the girls said anything. Amicia's hate had barely waned and the sight of Minnie, someone whom she saw as a friend, crying made guilty and frustration plague her mind. 

Silent tears dripped down her face as she stared at Minnie. When she spoke her voice sounded hollow.

"Go." It was a single word but it had the desired effects. Minnie shot up from the couch the moment Amicia spoke. Her arms were wrapped around herself in a protective stance as she ran to the door, still sobbing uncontrollably. 

The door had barely opened before a startled guard had grabbed Minnie and pulled her from the room. Amicia could hear the frantic questions sent Minnie's way but the girl was crying too hard to answer. Once the door was closed Amicia finally allowed herself to crumble to the floor in a heap of tears and anguish.

She'd cried many times since the day this had all started. She'd cried over her lost parents, over her lost childhood and innocence, over a lost future, but none of that compared to the pain and guilt she felt when she thought of someone she loved dying because of her-- because of her inability to protect them like she had promised she would. 

She stayed in a heap on the floor for the longest time before the door was jerked open and slammed close. Amicia didn't need to look up to know who it was standing above her, steel boots caked in mud and something else-- blood? 

"Care to explain why that girl came running out of our chambers as of the Devil were chasing her? Or should I beat it from you?" A metal hand twisted into her hair and pulled her body up from the floor. 

The pain was brief. As soon as she was upon her feet he let go. The hand traveled to the nape of her neck and squeezed painful, cold metal biting into the sensitive skin. 

"What the fuck is wrong with you? Why now, of all times, must you fucked up? Why, Amicia?!" He shook her neck, sending jolts of pain throughout her neck and shoulders. "Answer me when I speak to you, whore," He let go of her abruptly. The way he was treating her while fully armored terrified Amicia. He could easily snap her neck and barely feel it underneath all that steel.

"You're a murderer," She was quiet when she spoke, but her words rung clear in the silent room. The sharp intake of breath was the only warning she got before a steel gauntlet backhanded her temple so hard she saw stars. 

With her balance off kilter, Amicia could only follow gravity down to the floor. Her body collided with the stone floor painfully, but the pain wasn't as extreme as the one in her skull. Ears ringing and eyes blurring, Amicia couldn't get a well enough grip on reality before Nicholas was on top of her, hands wrapped around her throat. 

"Me? You dare have the gull to call me a murderer? Perhaps it's time you look within, girl, and you'll see just how similar we are," The squeeze of his hands on her throat had stopped airflow completely. The longer he squeezed the more her lungs burned.

"You've killed many of my men. Most had families, and you still have the moral high-ground between us? No, my dear girl, I think it's time you finally see yourself for what you are." His hands retracted from her throat just as darkness began clouding her vision. The sound of her rattling lungs as she inhaled scared her. Her breaths weren't supposed to sound like that. 

The heavy body atop of hers disappeared and left her sprawled out on the stone floor alone and in pain. Between her head and her chest, Amicia was struggling to keep conscious. 

"Get up. I've had enough of you," Hands grabbed her arms and hauled her back up to her feet. She teetered dangerously to the side but was kept in place by a tight grip on her arm. 

Amicia could barely make out her surrounding as Nicholas dragged her from the room and out into the hallway. She could hear someone talking but it was muffled and barely intelligible. 

"I thought you'd adjusted but it seems I was wrong. For the rest of your stay here, while I see fit, you'll be locked in a cell, alone, and without food. If you can convince me you've changed then I'll think about easing up on your punishment." Everything went by so fast it all looked like a blur. 

As Amicia walked she could feel something trickle from her temple. It was warm and sticky to the touch, and, through blurry eyes, she could see res droplets hitting her shirt.

Nicholas had hit her so hard he'd made her bleed. No doubt it'd leave a nasty, painful bruise and gash as well. If the on coming headache had anything to do with it then she'd also be having a migraine. 

Amicia could tell when they stepped into the dungeon. The smell smacked her in the face almost as hard as Nicholas had backhanded her. It was putrid and even worse than she remembered. The sound of pained moans and screams did nothing to help her pounding head. 

Blood was splattered on the ground in front of the cells. Bodies inside were mutilated and twisted in grotesque ways. Clearly, they'd been killed by man and not rats. Rats would leave nothing but bones-- if one were lucky-- and not mangled bodies with broken limbs or no skin.  
The sight and smell of death had her gagging violently. 

A wicked chuckle came from deep within Nicholas' chest as he opened up a cell door with a tortured corpse hanging from its wrists. Amicia could do nothing but whimper when he shoved her into the cell. The blood that coated the ground and walls surrounding it reeked to hell and back. 

"No!" The sound of a lock twisting into place had insurmountable panic surging in her chest. Whirling around she could see Nicholas standing in front of the cell, arms crossed over his chest. He simply stared at her as she begged him to take her out, to put her anywhere but in a cell with a rotting corpse. He said nothing. Once Amicia was reduced to nothing but hysterical sobs, he turned on his heel and left.

She cried so hard she vomited on herself. She stayed with her back to the corpse for as long as she could. Her head was buried in her arms that rested on her knees. Head spinning, migraine worsening, nausea... All in all Amicia felt worse than death. 

She cried until her eyes hurt and could no longer produce anymore tears. By the time she was done, she could tell that the sun was setting. The glass window in the cell in front of hers had shown a setting sun. The oranges and reds only increased the dread mounting within.

With night came the rats. She could already hear the pitched squeaks they made in her mind. The thought of being alone with the rats, in a cell, with a dead body, had Amicia clenching her fists. She was pissed. 

How dare he leave her in this place? After all the things he done and said. After everything he put her through... 

Amicia could feel the anger boil in her chest as the sun continued to set. As darkness began to blanket the dungeon, Amicia vowed to one day have his head on a pike. Or, even better, feed his dead corpse to the rats.

The sound of tiny feet scurrying across the stone floor was all Amicia needed to finally pick herself up. To her horror, the only torch in the cell was beside the hanging corpse. The thought of being close to a rotten body almost dwarfed the thought of getting consumed by ravenous rats, but didn't quite cut it. So, against her better judgement, Amicia reluctantly scooted her way towards the torch. Once in the lights glow she curled into herself. 

The smell was worse up close. 

Amicia kept her eyes closed for most of the night, just listening to the frenzied scurrying of the rats as they ate anything not blanketed in the fire's light. The sound of teeth tearing into flesh was sickening, the sounds of screams even worse. 

More than once Amicia could have sworn she felt something brush against her leg, but, to preserve her sanity, she ignored it to the best of her ability. 

The night ticked by slowly. By the time morning light shone through the window, Amicia felt more exhausted than she ever had. 

The constant chatter of the rodents had slowly dulled down until, finally, after hours of torment, they'd completely gone away. Despite the danger of being eaten alive now gone, Amicia felt more on edge than she had since being put back in the dungeon. 

She tried to chalk it up to the eerie silence that hung over the place. The nagging feeling in her stomach told her that worse things awaited her-- maybe even worse than being locked up in a dirty cell with her only company being a dead body and carnivorous rats. 

Time seemed to drag on through the day. Each passing by slower than the last. By the time she heard footsteps approaching her, Amicia was giddy with anticipation. It wasn't Nicholas that visited her, though. 

Minnie looked almost comically out of place in the gory backdrop of the dungeon. Her face said it all-- She had never once been down here before. Her complexion looked pale and the longer Amicia stared the more noticable her tremors became. 

If Amicia weren't so exhausted she might have felt bad for the girl. 

"Amicia..." The way Minnie's voice broke almost triggered tears, but Amicia managed to hold her composure. She felt as if she had cried enough in the days she'd spent there. "I'm so sorry," A shaking hand gripped onto the bars of her cell, knuckles turned white from the hard grip. 

"If I'd have known what he was going to do, I wouldn't have said anything." A jingle of metal had Amicia's head jerking up immediately. 

In Minnie's hand were a ring of keys. One of them, no doubt, for her cell. The hope mounting in her chest was almost enough to knock Amicia out. 

"I know I haven't been a good friend, Amicia, and I'm so sorry about that... but I promise to make it up to you." The sound of the door unlocking sent pleasant chills down her spine. 

"Are you letting me go?" Amicia couldn't help but ask as she stood up on shaking legs. If not for the adrenaline coursing through her veins she'd not have been able to stand up at all. 

"Yes, I am. And we," Minnie put a emphasis on we, " Are going to escape together. I know the perfect route to get out of her undetected." The cell door swung open on squeaky hinges. The sounding was almost ear splitting in the silence of the dungeon. 

"We? But I thought you liked it here. Liked it with Him..." Amicia was confused. Was this some type of test? A trap? Was she going to be ambushed the moment she stepped out of the dungeon? She just didn't know what to make of the situation. 

"I hate it here, Amicia. I care a great deal about Lord Nicholas, but, I know how bad of a man he is. And I know the cause he serves isn't just at all," Minnie took Amicia by the hand, intertwining their fingers together, and tugged her from the cell. "I want to live my life knowing I've done right, and by staying here I know I'll never get that." A bittersweet smile crossed Minnie's face before it disappeared moments later. She was just as conflicted as Amicia. 

A brief moment of silence passed between the girls before Amicia made up her mind. If Minnie wanted to finally be free then who was she to deny her? And if she could help her cause even in the slightest then she'd be a great asset to her and her friends. Mind made up, Amicia gave a gentle squeeze to Minnie's hand

"Alright. Let's go, then. You led the way." She tried her best to send a reassuring smile Minnie's way and it seemed to work seeing as she recieved one back. 

"Oh! Before I forget," A moment after digging through her pocket, Minnie held out Amicia's beloved sling along with her alchemy pouch. "I thought maybe you'd want these back." 

Amicia was stunned. She had thought Nicholas had them burned when she was brought here, so seeing her only personal items safe and sound was a relief that Amicia never knew she needed. It helped raise her spirits even more. No way was she going to be caught again. She'd fight her way back or die trying. 

"Thank you, Minnie. I don't know what to say," Once back in her hands, Amicia felt an overwhelming surge of emotions. For some off reason she felt complete again. 

"You don't have to say anything. Let's just get out of her safe, okay? I'll leave our safety to you and you'll leave the navigation to me." 

"Sounds like a good enough deal to me," 

Smiling, the girls took off. 

More than once the girls were confronting with a guard or two, but Amicia made quick work of them. She was glad they hadn't worn helmets. 

Unbidden, Nicholas's words to her the night previous slithered into her mind. 

Was she really just as bad as he was? 

She couldn't think on it long though. The girls had the advantage of surprise and stealth but also the disadvantage of having to escape during the day. The night would have been too dangerous, though. 

Still, Amicia wasn't sure which was worse: Being caught by people whose only life mission was to make Amicia suffer, or be caught by a pack of hungry rats looking for their next meal. At least the rats would eat her and be done with it. These people, though, would prolong her pain. 

"Amicia," The girls had made it out of the camp almost completely undetected, but where still in hot water as they crawled their way through the forest. Amicia had been given the lead the moment the girls were past the treeline. 

"Yeah?" They spoke to each other quietly. Neither of then wanted to risk being heard by any stray guards wandering the forest.

"The people at your camp, will they reject me?" The question had Amicia stumped. She truly didnt know how any of then would react to Amicia showing up out of the blue after a month of being gone with a new person who used to work for the enemy. Melie, out of all the of them, would react the most negatively. 

"I'm not sure, but they'll eventually warm up to you. Just give them time. Every one of them has been effected either directly or indirectly by Vitalis and his guard dog. They'll need time to get to know you and know you aren't dangerous," 

"Oh... I guess that makes sense. Then, I'll try my best to get them to like me." 

The rest of the way the girls were silent, both lost in their own thoughts. It wasn't until Amicia recognized a landmark that she grew restless. 

During their stay at the castle they had put landmarks all around the surrounding area. Each one was discrete but noticable by someone who had a lookout for it. One of the landmarks had been Amicia's family heirloom pendant. 

She'd hung it up on a low hang branch a few miles west of the castle. Mostly it was hidden within the leaves of the tree branch but could be seen if one tilted their head in a certain way. 

With newfound energy, Amicia picked up her face to a near jog. If Minnie noticed the sudden change she didn't say anything about it. 

The girls kept this pace for twenty minutes before the castle came into view. It was still quite a ways away but just seeing it had tears gathering in Amicia's eyes. 

"Oh, wow," Minnie stared, stunned at the castle. She had a look of awe on her face.

"Welcome to your new home, Minnie." Amicia wrapped an arm around Minnie's shoulder and gave a gentle squeeze. 

For the first time in weeks Amicia could feel the tension drain from her body. In a few short minutes she'd be reunited with her friends and brother again. And, she hoped, even though it was selfish and cruel, that she'd see Lucas again. Even if it meant Arthur had to be dead. 

It took the girls another ten minutes to reach the castle grounds. From where she stood Amicia could hear the faint voices of two people talking. One was feminine and the other masculine but boyish. 

She just couldn't help it-- Amicia called out to the voices almost desperately. The silence that ensued was almost deafening. 

Now at a sprint, Amicia bolted in the direction of the entrance. Careful navigation of the area had her placed in front of the castle door in minutes. Minnie was just behind her, panting heavily but still keeping up. 

Amicia threw her entire body into banging on the door. 

"Melie? Hugo? Is anyone there? It's me, Amicia! Open up!" The desperation in her voice was palpable. 

What seemed like hours dragged on until the castle door was opened slowly, revealing a skeptical Melie. The moment the girls looked upon each other, relief washed over both of them like a wave. 

"Amicia!"

"Melie!" 

The two embraced each other almost violently. Arms around each other squeezed and tears fell freely. As the two friends hugged, Amicia could feel Melie's body turn from soft and welcoming to rigid with tension. 

The whisper from Melie was almost too quiet to hear.

"Who is that and why is she here?" Lips brushed against her ear as they whispered. It didn't feel the same way His had when they had touched the sensitive skin of her ear. 

Pulling away from the embrace reluctantly, Amicia took hold of Melie's hand and lead her closer to Minnie. The latter looked petrified as Melie pinned her down with a nasty look. 

"Melie, this is Minnie. She helped me escape from Vitalis and his dog. She's my friend," The warning was clear in Amicia's voice-- do NOT attack. "Minnie, this is Melie. She's a friend of mine and a part of our little group. She knows her way around a lock like it's nobody's business." 

The two girls just stared at each other for a moment before Minnie tentatively held out her hand for Melie to shake. Melie, of course, only stared at the hand as if offended her. Which, Amicia was sure it had. 

A soft snort came from Melie before she turned on her heels, hand still gripping Amicia's and marched inside. Amicia sent an apologetic look over her shoulder at Minnie and gestured for her to follow. 

Once inside the castle Amicia could hear two boys bantering. One sounded very similar to Lucas and it had her heart racing. 

The entire room went quiet the moment the three girls emerged from the door. 

In the middle of the room stood Rodric and Lucas, both facing each other with their heads turned towards the entrance where the girls stood. Off to the side she saw a small huddled body laying on a palette, sleeping. 

Tears sprung to her eyes at the sight of her baby brother safe and sound. Before she could even blink, though, Amicia was stampeded by both boys at once. 

Lucas hugged her waist tightly, as if she'd disappear again at a moments notice. She tired to hug back but found Melie wasn't too keen on letting go of her hand just yet. So, she made due with the one arm she had left. 

Rodric looped an arm around her shoulder and gave a squeeze, head resting on the side of hers in an affectionate gesture. Both boys had tears in their eyes. 

"Amicia! You're alive," Lucas had his face half buried in her chest, smearing snot and tears on her shirt. She couldn't find it in her to mind much, though. 

"Yeah, I am. I missed you all so much," Her own tears joined theirs as she cried in relief. 

At last her torment was over. 

None of them had noticed when Hugo awoke until they heard a small cry from the corner of the room. 

Looking up, Amicia could see her brother standing up, crying, with his arms held out to her. His face was red from his hard sobbing but for the most part he looked uninjured.  
Reluctantly, the boys let go of Amicia. They knew to give her space while she reunited with her brother. 

Hugo was inconsolable when Amicia reached out to pull him to her. His small body shook with the violent force of his sobs and he couldn't get out a word while she held him. 

The siblings simply held one another tightly. Minutes ticked by before Hugo had calmed down enough to speak. His voice was wobbly at best but Amicia could understand him just fine. 

"Amicia! Amicia I missed you so much! Don't leave me ever again," His face wedged itself in the junction between her neck and shoulder. 

"Oh, Hugo, I missed you so much, too. I'll never ever leave you again, I promise." Amicia pressed chaste kisses to the side of his head. It was meant to console Hugo but deep down, she knew it was also to ground herself. To prove that she was finally free and with her brother again. 

She hoped to God that this wasn't some sick dream. She wouldn't know what to do if she woke up this very instant only to find she was still in the dungeon or in Nicholas's bed. 

"I love you, Hugo. I love you so much." They held each other for a minute more before a cough drew Amicia's attention back to the group behind them. 

Turning, Amicia could see the questions on both Lucas's and Rodric's faces. Melie, although not upset, didn't look pleased either being in such close proximity to Minnie. 

Minnie looked teary eyed as she watched the two siblings finally untied. Seeing her reaction only solidified Amicia's judgment in bringing Minnie with her. 

"Uh," Rodric rubbed the back of his neck, looking between Amicia and Minner. "Who is this?" Lucas nodded in agreement with Rodric's question. 

Amicia never let go of Hugo, even as she stepped closer to the group to introduce everyone. She simply held her brother at her side. He, in turn, wrapped his arms around her midsection and pressed tightly to her body. 

"This is Minnie. She helped me escape from Vitalis and Nicholas. I'm in debt to her," A smile filled with gratitude flash across Amicia's lips while she spoke of Minnie. Truly, she appreciated the girl. If it weren't for her she'd still be in that cell in the dungeon. 

"Oh... So she's friend, not foe?" Rodric sent Minnie a rather skeptical look but held off from saying anything. He didn't seem all that impressed. Rather, he seemed wary of the girl. 

Amicia didn't know why. 

"Yeah, she is. Please be welcoming to her, okay? I know it'll take some time getting used to her but-" Amicia was cut off by Melie's sudden shouting. 

"My brother is dead because of that rat Nicholas. You said she 'help you escape'," Melie air quoted, her tone dripping with venom. "Just how did she do that if she wasn't already there? And don't tell me she was a prisoner, too! Look at her! She's dressed as some servant or something," Melie openly glared at Minnie now. She wasn't attacking yet but Amicia could feel a pending fight approaching, and she wasn't sure how well Minnie would do in it. 

"Melie I'm sorry for your loss, you know I am. But please, hear me out," With a hand held out in a plea, Amicia slowly inched her way to Minnie. If Melie were to attack at least Amicia could throw Minnie out of the way. 

"Go on then. Talk! I want to know just who this bitch is and, if by any chance she has to do anything with the murdering of my brother, I'll kill her where she stands!" There was fire in Melie's eyes that Amicia had never seen before.  
She understood, though. She'd be just as bloodthirsty and untrusting of anyone who could possibly be an accomplice in her brother's death. 

Underneath all the anger in Melie's eyes, though, there was a bone-deep sadness. 

It pained Amicia to see it. 

"She had nothing to do with Arthur's death, Melie. I promise you that. All she was was a servant, okay? A maid for Nicholas, taken in when she was a child and raised to serve him. His actions had nothing to do with her. She didn't even know what he was going to do until he had done it," Amicia now stood in front of Minnie protectively, her arm still outstretched to Melie. 

Melie seethed in silence, staring just behind Amicia's head where Minnie stood. The fire had dulled down but didn't vanish. 

A sharp exhale later and Melie's shoulders slumped downwards. Her entire demeanor screamed exhaustion. 

"Fine... I'll believe that story for now. But mark my words, Amicia. If she turns out to be some kind of spy or snitch, I'll kill her before she can even blink. That's a promise." With that, Melie stormed out of the room and outside. Amicia didn't know where she went off to but she guessed it was to relieve some of her tension and anger. Amicia didn't blame her and gave her some space.

The boys, who had remained quiet up until now, were politely introducing themselves. Both were reserved but respectful when speaking to Minnie, and for that she was thankful. 

Before long everyone had settled down. 

Minnie and Rodric had sparked a friendship almost as soon as the oddness of the situation faded. Now they were outside with Rodric explaining nearly every piece of equipment to Minnie in excruciating detail. 

Amicia, Hugo, and Lucas were all in the Alchemy lab down below. Lucas had caught her up on many things that had happened, mostly pertaining to Hugo and his illness. 

It seemed like the Macula had spread more throughout his body.

Amicia could immediately tell upon further inspection of her brother. The black veins lining the side of his neck and face were like a punch to the gut, but good news from Lucas had her spirits lifting a bit. 

"I went through the Sanguinis Itinera and found a possible cure," He flipped through pages of the ancient book careful, "It's kind of far-fetched, but it could work. You mother... she had an alchemy laboratory, right?" 

Amicia knew her mother was an alchemist but couldn't for the life of her think of any lab that she might have had. 

"No, not that I knew of, anyway," Lucas visibly deflated. 

"Oh, well, maybe there was a place she didn't let you go to? Or a place she had heavily guarded?"

A thought entered her mind almost as soon as Lucas finished speaking. 

Amicia could remember a certain spot that her mother had forbade her from entering, she just never knew why. She'd assumed it was because it was dangerous but what could be so dangerous about a bathing house? 

"There was a Roman bath house mother never let me go to, but I'm not sure if that'd be it," She was doubtful of the idea but suggested it anyway. Better a possible option than none 

"That could be it! We need to go check it out. Maybe your mother had a secret place to enter. That could be our only way to find a cure for Hugo."

Amicia hated the idea of going back to her old home where her life had all but ended but knew that if it meant saving Hugo that she'd do it anyway. 

"Okay. Let's do it. When should we leave?" As eager as she was to help Hugo, she was also so very exhausted and wanted to rest just a bit before diving head first into yet another dangerous adventure. 

"We can stand to wait a few days. I know you're tired, Amicia. You need to rest a little before we can go. I'm sure Hugo would love to spend some time with you, too. The cure can wait so long as he's fine." Lucas smiled up at her warmly. 

Amicia nodded in agreement. 

They would wait a few days then revisit the idea of going back to her old home to find her mother's possible alchemy laboratory. For now, though, she wanted to be with her brother and friends for as long as she could. 

She still struggled to believe she was free but the solid warmth of Hugo beside her helped her ground herself. More than once she'd catch herself slipping back into her thoughts. 

Her mind was a hostile place. 

It was filled with nasty memories of Nicholas and his abuse. The feeling of his hands and lips were forever etched into her memory, and nothing she could ever do would undo that. She could only try to heal as best as she could, and, hopefully, over time she'd be able to not want to cry everytime she thought back on those memories. 

For now she could only bite her lip and try not to let herself slip too deeply into her mind. 

Even though He was miles away from her, Nicholas still seemed to be apart of her. As if he had seeped into the very core of her being. It hurt to think about him but it was impossible not to. 

Just how much damage had he'd done to her? 

Amicia didn't think she wanted to know the answer to that question.


	6. Chapter 6: Revelations Under the Night Sky

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Please forgive me in my tardiness with posting a new chapter, I've been going through writer's block pretty bad this past month but it's getting better now! :D Anyway, I'm hoping despite the shortness of this chapter everyone still enjoys it. 
> 
> Warnings: Mentions of past rape and death

The castle was eerily quiet that night. Only the soft breaths of Hugo, who lay beside her on the floor, was audible to Amicia's ears. It was strange not hearing the sounds of prisoners in their cells. To make it even worse, it was strange to be able to sleep peacefully knowing she wouldn't be called upon by Nicholas. 

The thought of his nightly tortures to her body had a cold chill running down her spine. 

A sniffle came from her before she even realized she'd been crying. The tears were warm against her cheeks but as they dried the skin cooled in the night air. The tang of salt pierced her tongue the moment she open her lips to suck in a shuddering breath. 

In a way, crying grounded her. It gave her an outlet of sorts-- a way to vent her frustrations and anger and sorrow. She found herself crying more than usual as of late. 

An entire month has passed with her being in the clutches of Nicholas. A month of pain, anger, and fear. A month longer than any month Amicia had ever lived through. 

More tears slipped down her cheeks but from what emotion she didnt know. It could be from the lingering fear of her escape somehow being a dream or it could be the anger of having to endure such atrocities at the hands of her worst enemy. Or it could be the disgust she felt when her body ached to be held by strong arms once again. 

The tears kept coming until her eyes could no longer produce any more. The burn still stayed, though, as did the pressure in her chest, but the tears themself has stopped and everything in Amicia's mind went blissfully blank. 

She lay there for a long time just listening to the soft breathing of her brother, and, if she listened close enough, to the faint chattering of rats just outside their door. The light from the torches were enough to ward the beasts off but not enough to stop them from trying to enter.

A small smile spread across her lips as she watched the flames cast dancing shadows across the walls and ceiling. They seemed to be telling a story but it wasn't one Amicia knew. No matter how hard she focused or imagined, the story being told by the crackling flames wasn't one she could understand. 

Sighing, Amicia closed her eyes and focused all her attention on falling asleep. The others had been asleep for a long time now but Amicia couldn't find the peaceful embrace of unconsciousness just yet for too many things weighed her mind down. Memories of the past and thoughts of the future plagued her every thought. 

It was painful for Amicia to remember her past but it wasn't as bad as looking into her future. Each and every future she saw herself in wasn't one she knew she'd be happy with. 

Each future was of endless running until she died or was caught once more. Each one was filled with the daunting reality of the plague and how much it had affected their world. Things would never be able to go back to as they were. Change was inevitable in life, Amicia knew this, but was it so wrong for her to want to stop it? 

Change hurt. It brought confusion and anxiety for what lay ahead, but most of all it meant there was no turning back. That there was no correcting the wrongs you had already done and there was no bringing back what you had lost. 

Amicia had lost a lot already. She had lost her home, her livelihood, her parents, her loyal companion, and her own sense of self. To someone like her, losing anymore would mean losing life itself. She'd have already lost the will to continue on if it weren't for Hugo. Her entire life now consisted of making sure he stayed safe and alive. Nothing more than that matter much to Amicia. 

The harsh reality of having an almost meaningless life had her jolting up from her shared cott on the ground in a blind panic. The sudden realization of how tired she truly was was almost soul crushing. Amicia wanted to have something to live for. She wanted to look forward to something, anything, that wasn't just her brother's survival. 

Grabbing a torch, Amicia made her way out into the night. The chattering of rats only got louder once out in the open. They screeched upon seeing the bright light she held and rushed out of reach from the halo it provided. They hissed at her almost as if they were trying to tell her how displeased they were. As if to say: "Put out that light right now! Can't you see we hate it? Stupid girl." 

Chuckling to herself, Amicia promptly ignored the rodents and opted to turn her attention the sky above her.

The night sky was beautiful. The stars twinkled their greeting and the moon shone brightly in the darkness of the night. The breeze was enough to cool down her heated skin, too. 

The calm that washed over her was welcome. To Amicia it felt as if it were the waves from the ocean there to pull her into a peaceful abyss. 

A gentle tugging at her heart startled her. The feeling wasn't altogether foreign but definitely long-lost. The swell of hope in her breast was enough to knock the breath out of her lungs. 

Amicia thought for a moment, trying to understand why the emotion had welled up inside of her so suddenly, seemingly without any cause. It took her a while but eventually she understood. 

Amicia wanted so badly to see this sight again. She wanted to see the moon and the stars and feel the gentle breeze against her face once again, but this time she wanted it to be without the rats swarming below her. She wanted a truly peaceful night like the ones she had as a child. 

To her that was enough motivation to inspire her to want to continue on; not only for Hugo but for herself, too. A smile spread across her features before she could stop it. 

The stars twinkled their goodbye as she headed back inside where her friends lay asleep. The snores of Rodic were audible from where Amicia stood in the entryway. Melie, much to Amicia's surprise, was a fitful sleeper.

She tossed and turned on her cott almost restlessly and more than once Amicia thought she could hear her mumble something in her sleep. 

Not one to pry, Amicia placed the torch back in its rightful place and tiptoed her way back to where Hugo slept. He looked peaceful while he dreamt. His face was void of any expression and his brow, for once, weren't scrunched together. 

Amicia carefully lowered herself down to lay beside her brother. Her mind was still reeling from her sudden revelation but the feeling was nice. For once she could finally focus on something other than pain and fear.

A wistful sigh escaped her as she fell into a deep sleep. 

***

Nicholas always hated losing. He hated the feeling of defeat and the crushing realization that he couldn't do what he had set out to do. More than that, though, he hated feeling vulnerable and that was exactly how the girl made him feel. 

The girl, Amicia, a sworn enemy of his and a pain in his neck since day one, was suppose to have died by his sword the day he killed her father. He could still remember the way she ran away so helplessly. She had tears and snot running down her face, but even then, even in her ugliest moment, Nicholas found himself attracted to the sniveling girl. 

It was that revelation that prevented him from driving his sword into her small body. He had instead opted for slaughtering any other De Rune associated person he came across. 

The mission to capture the boy was a bitter failure but he had still managed to sink his teeth into another victim-- the boy's mother, Beatrice De Rune. The bitch of a woman hadn't gone peacefully. No, instead she fought him every step of the way. Not even his backhand would subdue her enough. 

The sound of her skull cracking when he had slammed her head into the wall beside him was satisfying but not nearly as satisfying as seeing her drop unconscious before his very eyes. 

The feeling was tripled the moment he had the fortune of seeing his darling runaway drop unconscious in his arms the day he caught her. Her body was so small as he held her. It was easy to hoist her up upon his shoulder and carry her off like some prized trophy-- which she had been. 

The warm weight of her was comforting as he rode back to headquarters on a burrowed horse. The girl had done quite a number in his beast but still hadn't killed it. Only impaired it beyond compare. To him, the horse was useless. If it couldn't see then it couldn't ride. What use to him was a blind horse? 

Upon arriving back at headquarters, he'd been questioned thoroughly. His darling girl, against his wishes, had been placed in the dirty dungeon below ground where they kept all their common criminals. The rooms of solidarity were meant for higher-risk criminals. 

Beatrice may not have been a criminal in polite society but to the Inquisition she was worse than the worst. She had been thrown into the damp, dark cell and had only been let out to be questioned and tortured by Vitalis himself. Nicholas hated the woman too much to stand to be in her presence for very long but the night he had caught her daughter, he paid her a visit. The resulting wails of agony and pleading were music to his ears. 

The night he took her precious daughter's virginity was yet another night of agonizing screams and pleas for him to release her dsughter. He had kept a trophy of that night, a little keepsake to remember the night by. The moment he held up the bloodied undergarments to Beatrice's face he reveled in the way her blood drained and her eyes filled with disbelief and denial. 

He had relished in her sobs almost as much as he relished in the way Amicia's body had welcomed him inside of her. 

He could still remember the face Beatrice made when he'd told her to expect a grandchild soon. 

Of course he knew better than to expect any children any time soon but the fear Beatrice had of him impregnating her daughter was just too good to pass up on. 

Nicholas had made sure to inject a contraception into the young girl before he took her. He was a busy man with a busy schedule and had no time to be annoyed with the squalling of a babe. So, he'd asked the alchemist the Inquisition employed to make a certain concoction for him. 

It guaranteed that Amicia wouldn't fall pregnant for several months, if not a year, and gave Nicholas the free range of using her body as he pleased. And he had. The way her body clenched around him was euphoric and Nicholas found himself slowly becoming addicted to it as time drew on.

He often found himself fantasizing about her soft body and her smell when he shouldn't be. Now was on of those times. 

As he cut his way through the throng of people standing in his way, he struggled not to let his mind wander too far off into his thoughts. The stench of rot and sewage was a far cry from the gentle smell of his Amicia but they were familiar and welcome in his time of frustration.

Upon the orders of Vitalis, every person who had fallen sick from the plaque was the be killed on the spot, and, like the good dog he was, Nicholas followed his orders dutifully. He had slain many innocent people in less than a day's time yet still he found himself needing to do more to vent his anger out. 

The girl had escaped. She had slipped right out from under his nose when he'd locked her up. And he knew how, too. 

Minnie, his charge, a mere child he'd taken in in pity, had helped his most prized possession escape. 

It was unforgivable and warranted a painful death, but Nicholas knew how to plot. He knew how to time his attacks just right so every piece he had would fall into place the exact moment he wanted them to. 

Nicholas wasn't dense. 

He had seen the way the girl looked upon him when he'd return back from battle. He'd seen how she blushed when he shed off his armor to bathe. But, more importantly, he knew of the things she did late at night when she thought no one was around to witness them.

More than once she would call out his name in the darkness of her room whilst in the throes of passion and pleasure. It disgusted him but Nicholas knew a good pawn when he saw one. 

All he had to do was bait the girl and wait for her inevitable collapse of mind. She'd come running back to him soon enough and all he needed to do was act the knight in shining armor to coax information on the whereabouts his beloved was. 

Nicholas knew every well that where ever Amicia was, so was the boy. If he could plan his attack meticulously enough then he'd have gotten two bird with one stone. 

A wicked smile crossed his lips as he drove his sword through the chest of the pleading man before him, the spray of blood splattering on his helmet the moment the cold metal cut through skin. The eyes of a dying man were beautiful to Nicholas. The soul slowly draining from the body that once held so much life was a drug he could never rid himself of. 

Feeling sated, he kicked the corpse away. The wet squelch the sword made as it slipped free from the carcass was satisfying to hear. 

Sheathing his weapon, he walked away from the carnage he and his army had dealt, his smile only growing with each step he took. 

Soon. 

Soon he'd have her back in his arms. This time, though, she wouldn't be able to run away. 

This time she'd be his forever.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Did everyone like Nicholas' POV? It got dark, I know, but I felt we all needed a refresher on just how evil he is. He's the villain in our story and no redemption will change that fact, sadly.
> 
> Also, since this chapter was so short I do plan on posting another one very soon. Be expecting another chapter within a day or two.


	7. Chapter 7: I Swear on My Life

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hello, I'm back again. This chapter will be longer than usual so I hope it makes up for the month that I've been gone. There may be a few grammar errors, if so just point them out for me and I'll fix them right away. Anyway, enjoy and happy reading!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warnings: Graphic depictions of death and gore
> 
> I'll be honest, I haven't played the game in a very, very long time. So some things that will take place in this chapter may not align with game exactly, but will have that same gist to it. Besides, nobody likes to read the same thing you've already done. Might as well throw something new in there.

Amicia had seen more than her fair share of death. More than once she had been the cause of it, too. She hated when her hand was forced to kill but she did it out of love and devotion for her brother, for her friends, and for herself. Death was so embedded in her everyday life, now, that she could rarely go a single day without seeing the carnage that the rats or the plague had wreaked upon the lands.

She hated seeing her once beautiful homeland be reduced to nothing but a graveyard. With each day that passed more and more people fell to the plague; some due to the illness itself, some due to the rats. As the death toll kept climbing, so did Amicia's resolve to end this madness. She had seen the affects that the plague had on others-- had seen the affect it had on her own life-- and was restless to stop it. 

It had only been a week that she had been back when Melie fell sick. She couldn't stand without someone assisting her and could barely hold down enough water to stay hydrated. It scared her to see the once strong, independent girl who had saved her life countless times be reduced to a mess of sweat, vomit, and pained groans. The fevers that overtook Melie were frightening. Most days Amicia would be forced to stay by her side, keeping a watchful eye on her just in case the fever got too high. 

Minnie helped a lot, too. She would look after Melie when Amicia could not and treated her with such gentleness that Amicia could almost feel the affection second-hand. Nobody knew what Melie had fallen ill with. Lucas had an idea of what it could possibly be but refused to let anything slip unless he knew for certain. 

Amicia also had suspicions but most times she pushed them away. The reality of them were too hard to think about, let alone acknowledge. So Amicia spent her days blissfully ignoring the signs. The vomit, the coughed up blood and phlegm, the bouts of delirium-- Amicia ignored it all. She had to. Few things are worse than coming to terms with a friend's imminent death.

On the seventh day she'd been back, Lucas declared they could no longer wait to head to her mother's old laboratory. While Melie's condition was growing worse with each day, so was Hugo's. 

The black in his veins had spread all over his body, reaching from his ankles to his temples. The thought of going back home sent chills down her spine, but the thought of Hugo succumbing to the macula was worse. 

They left that afternoon while daylight could still guide them. Amicia left strict instructions that if anything were to happen while she and Lucas were away that the others run. It didn't matter where, they just had to escape and go someplace safe. And, God forbid, if either Hugo or Melie were to slip further into their illness the others would have to seek help elsewhere. Teenagers could only do so much with helping nurse someone who couldn't be cured. 

"Amicia? They will be all right, I just know it. The longer we wait, the longer Hugo waits. We have to go." Lucas' hand pressed against the small of her back, guiding her effortlessly down the well worn path the group would take when they needed to go outside of the castle walls for supplies. 

"I know," The tension in her shoulders didn't ease as the two teens put more distance between themselves and their friends. "I know that but I just can't help but think something bad might happen while we are away. What if the Inquisition manages to find them? They'd be slaughtered and I wouldn't be there to stop it." Even with the warmth of the sun bearing down upon her, Amicia could feel chills making their way down her body. The thought of coming back to nothing but rubble and death... She perished the thought.

"As I said; We get there as soon as possible then we can get back as soon as possible, too. This must be done, Amicia. We don't have the time to stand and think about what-ifs. Hugo is only getting worse, and Melie, well," A pause, then a pained sigh. "Melie won't be getting any better no matter what we do, but I think you already know that, huh?" A bitter smile twisted on Lucas' lips before he banished the anguished expression from his face. 

Lucas was good at hiding behind his mask, but, if Amicia looked hard enough, she could see the raw emotions behind the fake smile he put on. She could see the fear and pain in those eyes of his. Amicia was sure hers reflected the same. 

A long silence stretched between the two as they continued the journey back to her old home. The minutes ticked by into hours, and, before either of the teens knew it, they were on the outskirts of town. The sun was already beginning to wane in the sky, the brilliant reds, oranges, and pinks were enough to ease at least a little of the burden while Amicia stepped over dead and decaying bodies strewn in the streets. 

"Before we charge headfirst into a likely deadly rat-Inquisition trap, I've got to ask you something, Lucas," Amicia was taller than the younger teen by barely an inch but sometimes Lucas' stare made her feel so much smaller than she was. Now happened to be one of those times.

"Ask away." It was a nonchalant response, one that tried to throw Amicia off his scent, but it still held an inkling of doubt within the depths of it.

"You and Melie..." She wanted to ease into the topic but could find no good starters to begin with so, instead, she dove straight in and hoped there were no jagged rocks awaiting her at the bottom. "You two seem very close. Closer than before, I mean." A side-glance at Lucas revealed she'd hit the nail right on the head. 

"What of it? You were gone a very long time, Amicia. We thought you dead for days before you came back. Melie was heartbroken and needed someone to rely on, I just so happened to be that person." The thin-veiled agitation in his words was enough to rub Amicia in the wrong way.

"I'm not judging you two, Lucas. I was just curious when it all began, that's all. So," She left the question hanging in the air between them. If he wished to take the bait then let him, but if not then Amicia would leave it be. For now.

"It started out as talks. She'd ask me to join her in one of her daily rounds and I would. We'd talk the entire time and never notice until Arthur would come to take the next shift," The hands at his sides clenched into fists as he continued on, "Before either of us knew it we had formed something of a bond. I'm younger- less experienced- but for some reason she chose me to confide in, and I let her."

"Are you two..." Again, she let the question hang between them. 

His silence went on for what felt like eons. The look upon his face was enough of an answer, though. The determined look of complete devotion. The haunting look in his eye that said he knew the one he loved would be ripped from him, but refused to accept it.

Amicia knew that look. She knew it very well. It was the same one she had when faced with countless enemies waiting with baited breathe to take the only thing worth living for in her life. It was the look she gave every Inquisition soldier as she tore her way through them so that Hugo may have a chance at a normal life. It was the look she wore when faced with the end of the world, the destruction of life as everyone knew it, but still held on so that at least her brother would survive through it. Yes, she knew that look Lucas had upon his face, and it meant only bad things were to come.

The town smelled of rot and decay the closer they drew to it. People and animal alike lay on the ground haphazardly. Most doors were marked with red X's while others were completely torn off the hinges. Amicia did not look inside for fear of seeing what lay within. The death outside was more than enough for her already. 

The town that she once called hers lay in ruin at her feet. The market place was destroyed completely. All stalls were smashed to bits or scattered among the rubble of fallen buildings around it. Bodies lay in wait beneath the rubble as well. The squelch of rotten food and blood beneath her shoes was almost enough to completely disturb Amicia from her task at hand. 

She wanted badly to see if she could help anyone. See if perhaps there lay someone alive and waiting for aide. It was a foolish thought, though. Amicia knew nobody was alive in the town. She knew from the unearthly silence that permeated the air, the stench that burned her nose and lungs with each breath she took. The only sounds around them were the footfalls she and Lucas made as they stepped over rubble and death to get closer to their destination. 

The further they got into the town the more carnage awaited them. Soon, it was near impossible to take a single step without hitting a corpse or a part of one. The teens had to use their shirts as masks to block out the smell. It didn't help much but something was always better than nothing.

"Amicia, you know the way to your home from here, right?" Lucas seemed to be struggling getting over a mound of rock and wood. He'd chosen to go over a fallen building while Amicia had chosen to walk through the sea of bodies. 

"I do but at this pace we'll never reach it before sundown." A small tug of unease twisted her stomach into knots at the prospect of being stuck there when night fell. With all the hiding places just the right size for a rat and no light source to be seen, they would be all but delivered to the rats on a silver platter if Amicia couldn't find a way back home before the sun set.

"That... sounds problematic," Lucas grunted with the effort of lifting himself over the top of the pile of rubble, sliding down almost effortless minus the catching of cloth on pointed rocks and wood. A curse fell from Amicia's lips when she nearly fell face first into the corpses below her.

"Very. Now help me find a way to gain leverage over this situation before it's too late."

A nod from Lucas and the two teens were off. They searched for sticks, torches, anything that would aide them if they had the misfortune of being caught in town at night. The found nothing.

"The sun is almost set, Amicia." Lucas nudged his shoulder into hers, gaining her attention, "We could always scale the remaining buildings left standing. Maybe we could outrun the sun," It was a jest, Amicia knew, but it wasn't a bad idea.

A quick look around and Amicia had found the perfect place to climb up on. The building, plus a few others, was the only one left standing in the town square.

A wooden plank lay on the side of the building and had just enough strength to hold her weight as she climbed up and onto the rooftop, Lucas at her heels.

From up above everything looked even more eerie. The countless dead, the destruction of an entire town. Everything looks so surreal that Amicia could have sworn she were dreaming if not for the thudding of her own heart in her chest. The smell helped, too.

"Over there," To the far right of them there lay a break in all the obstacles they faced. It was an almost completely clear path through town, and, by the looks of it, it led to her old estate as well. Luck seemed to be gracing them with her presence, it seemed.

"We've got to hurry, Lucas. The moment we can, we've got to run like hell. No stopping and no slowing down. Ready?" The sun was just kissing the horizon when they set off. Death was imminent if they couldn't reach the De Rune home before sundown.

It took longer than Amicia wanted to reach the clear path but once they had the teen's wasted no time. The thudding of feet against cobblestone was loud and the only thing to be heard.

Sweat poured from every crevice of Amicia's body, exhaustion weighed heavy on her limbs, and her lungs screamed for a reprieve, but Amicia kept going. The sun was near set and she could almost hear the demonic squeaking of the rats as they came out from whatever cave they dwelled in 'till dark.

Just as the estate came into view, the rats came pouring out. To Amicia's horror there seemed to be an endless amount of them. The sea of black rushed towards the teens, nearly reaching them before Lucas could swipe a torch from the wall nearby. It wasn't lit but that was easily fixed by some basic alchemy.

The torch casted a warm glow of light on Amicia and Lucas in just the right time. The light sent the rats scattering and kept the teens safe for the time being.

"Oh, fuck," A sob tried to escape Amicia's throat as she hunched over, tears of fright and relief gathering in her eyes, "That was too close."

"Yeah... Yes, it definitely was." Lucas' voice shook the slightest bit as he spoke but he stood ready and alert while Amicia struggled to regain her composure.

"We aren't far from the bathhouse, it'll take us a few minutes to reach." Amicia, still shaky from the close call, wobbled her way forward.

There were many Inquisition soldiers, mostly dead, at the estate. The handfuls that were still alive were only kept alive by torches near their crippled bodies. Amicia made quick work of extinguishing the flames, and relished in the sounds of their screams.

The rats, while occupied, were easy to escape from. The teens only had to cross the courtyard to reach the bathhouse.

The courtyard was an entirely different world, though. The rats seemed to be congregating there. There were so many that they scampered atop each other in their frenzy to escape the light shining from the torch Lucas held.

A twisting sea of rodents lay before the teens. Smells that should only be existent in Hell gagged Amicia to near tears. The odor as so strong it burned her eyes and prickled her skin.

"My God," Lucas turned his face into his shoulder, disgust displayed plainly across his youthful face, "That stench! What is that stench?"

"It's horrible! I... I can't even explain it," Amicia quickly covered her nose and mouth with the top half of her shirt, praying to anybody listening that the bathhouse did not share the same fate as the courtyard had.

"Look, over there, Amicia." Lucas pointed over to where a swarm of rats were circling. They chattered angrily the closer the teens got, reluctant to scatter away from whatever they'd been protecting.

A quick sweep of the light had the rodents parting anyway, and, to Amicia's horror, there lay her father's body.

"What devilry is this?" A pained whine escaped her throat before she could stop it. Her father looked the same as when she last saw of him. His body hadn't decayed or even been consumed by the rats. He looked to be asleep, if anything.

"How?" Amicia wanted badly to take her father into her arms and never let go. She wanted to give him a proper burial, one that all De Rune's received upon dying. "How is he still the same? It's been months!"

She knew breaking down into hysterics would do her no good, but no rational thought could make its way into her frenzied brain. Panicked, Amicia made for her father's corpse.

A firm hand on her shoulder stopped her dead in her tracks, though. A low voice spoke into her ear, soothing, and slowly, gently, pulled her back into reality.

"Amicia, stay with me. Please, just stay with me. It's hard, I know, but you can make it through this. Focus on my voice." And Amicia did. She closed her eyes and focused all her attention on the way Lucas spoke to her.

It helped. Soon she was back in her regular state of mind, though looking at her father's corpse was still painful for her.

"I just don't understand," Her voice could barely go above a whisper but Lucas seemed to have heard her. The arm that wrapped around her shoulder was proof of that.

"I don't either, but we must keep going. Maybe, when this is all over, we can come back and bury him. For now we need to get moving."

A moment later, Amicia nodded. The pain of seeing her father again had torn something in her heart she thought had healed. She wanted to stay but knew she couldn't. The dead would stay dead, but the dying didn't have to stay dying.

"The bathhouse should be through this gate." The doors were slightly ajar which made pushing them open that much easier for her.

With the doors opened, Amicia assessed the area. It looked the same, some minor damage done to the building but it was in fairly good shape considering the rest of the estate.

Inside was better. The smell waned until it finally faded completely and both teens could breathe once more. Rats hissed from dark corners but for the most part they were alone in the abandoned building.

Amicia had only ever been in the bathhouse very few times. Each time her mother would catch her and scold her, telling her that it wasn't a place to be played in. Amicia's mother was strict when it came to this place, and, if Lucas' assumption was correct, then Amicia finally understood why.

"Through that corridor." With Amicia leading the way, both teens made it through the horde of rats awaiting them. The torch was running low, which worried Amicia, but would hold until they reached the main room.

It came as no surprise to Amicia to see that the main room was filled with rats.

"Well, here it is." Amicia side-stepped a pile of mush, vehemently ignoring the human-like features that it seemed to have.

"This wasn't exactly what I was expecting," Lucas looked around the room, his nose scrunching up in distaste when he, too, caught sight of the decomposing body. "Is there anything else? Like maybe a hidden room you never knew of?"

"Well, if there is, then I wouldn't know of it, would I?" Amicia rose an eyebrow at Lucas, daring him to question her again. And what a stupid question it was. How would she know of a hidden room? Especially if it were hidden from her, too.

"Alright, fine. I was just asking." The gruff reply was all Amicia needed to know that the conversation was over. 

The teens looked around the room together. Two sets of eyes was always better than one, and with all the possible hiding spots for clues, they needed as much help as they could get. 

Pain blossomed in her heart upon seeing the Lion statue. It hurt to be reminded of her loving and loyal pup. Amicia had found him when he was just a newborn, abandoned by the side of the road and calling to anyone for help. Her parents were reluctant on letting her keep him, but caved when she threw a colossal fit. That was the only tantrum Amicia can ever remember throwing, and she was glad she had. 

Lion was a good dog. He protected her and was excellent in catching and keeping a scent. Most days she'd go hunting with him and bring home a rabbit or two. He was gone now, though. And that thought pained Amicia to think about.

"Are those runes?" Lucas pointed at the bottom of a bath were a strange etching was. It did appear to be a rune of sorts, but neither knew how to activate it.

Amicia didn't immediately recognize the symbols as that of the ones of the statues until she went back to stare longingly at the Lion. When she did, however, she called Lucas over.

"That kind of makes sense. Perhaps if we can light the symbols beneath the baths we can somehow unlock something." Lucas pointed to the hole in the ground right in front of them. Too bad it also had rats.

A look at the hole and rats and Amicia was shaking her head. "No. absolutely not. I'm not going down there." She loved adventure as much as the next person, sure, but wasn't all too eager to rush into her death so quickly.

"I'll guide you, don't worry. We have sticks that you can light, too. You can do this." Lucas handed her an unlit stick and nudged her towards the gaping hole most likely filled with rats.

"Are you insane? Do you wish for my death? Why can't you go, you're smaller than me!" Amicia batted his hand away as a particularly hard nudge sent her closer to the pit. "And sticks burn faster! What if I cannot find any brazier? What then, Lucas?"

An exasperated sigh from Lucas and she knew she has won.

"Amicia, I cannot do it. You already know that. As for the torch, fine. Take it. I won't be able to guide you as effectively, though. Especially if I have to keep pausing to re-light the sticks. That only means you'll be stuck down there longer." Maybe she hadn't won, after all. 

"Dammit, Lucas! Fine! I'll go, and I'll used the blasted sticks, too. But if I so much as run into the tiniest bit of trouble down there you better come help." 

"Fine, I agree. Now hurry. I want this to be over with as fast as possible."

Grumbling to herself, Amicia lit her stick and jumped into the vat of rats. They scattered away from her upon seeing the light and left a good enough opening for her to climb down into the hole. Once inside, her unease tripled. Rats were everywhere and she could just barely see the dim light from Lucas' torch above her.

"Lead away, Lucas," And he did. He moved slowly, but not too slow. His pace was good for Amicia. She was hunched over, wadding through throngs of rats, decay, and rubble. Already she could see her stick was running out of stick. Damn fire and its innate ability to eat everything it touched.

Panic didn't set in until Amicia could start to feel the heat of the fire on her fingers. Sweat beaded on her forehead from the stress. Her hands shook, too, but Amicia kept her grip tight.

"The brazier should be right there, Amicia. Do you see one?" The light from the torch had stopped right above a brazier, to her relief. It took a couple of steps to reach, but she lit it before her stick could extinguish itself. The sudden roaring of the fire coming to life sent the rats, which had been previously dangerously close to her, scampering several feet away.

"It worked! Can you see it, Lucas?" An affirmative noise sounded above her and Amicia took that as a yes. "Good. Lead me to the second one."

And so they went on. Lit sticks, burnt fingertips, close-calls, and lit braziers until finally all the brazier were lit. The weight lifted off her shoulders was tremendous when she crawled from the hole intact and alive.

"Never, and I repeat, never make me do that again."

"I pinky promise." 

Rolling her eyes, Amicia turned her attention to the wall where all statues resided. There, in the middle of them, was an opening that hadn't been there before. 

"Looks like we've found our hidden chamber. Lucas. Though, I'm not sure what will be awaiting us in there. Try to be careful,"

The teens cautiously stepped into the room. Amicia was on high alert, sling at the ready and eyes peeled for any danger. Lucas simply stared in awe at the laboratory before him.

"This is amazing! We'll definitely be finding something here that will help Hugo." Lucas, like a giddy child in a toy shop, couldn't keep his hands off all the things he saw. For once, Amicia could see just how young he really was.

The room was surprisingly void of any life-- rats included-- but Amicia wasn't about to look the proverbial gift horse in the mouth. If the rats weren't there then good riddance.

As Lucas explored the laboratory, Amicia decided to make herself comfortable. She lit all braziers she could find, mounted torched upon the walls where she could, and sat down to finally relax. The day had been long and particularly stressful and all she wanted to do was rest.

Amicia dozed off several times as Lucas worked away. She could faintly hear his mumbling but ignored him for the most part. The exhaustion weighed heavy on her eyes, and, before long, she was sprawled out on the floor asleep. 

Hours passed before she woke again, this time with Lucas laying beside her. He looked peaceful while he slept. Beside him was a bottle, one that no doubt held her brother's cure.

Rubbing the sleep from her eyes, Amicia stood up from her resting spot and made her way towards the door that led outside. She barely opened it to peer outside. There were no rats, which meant the sun must have risen in the sky already.

With the rats gone, she and Lucas would be able to get back to the chateau easier. Or, at least, Amicia hoped so. 

Waking Lucas from his sleep was hard. He fought her every step of the way, even falling back asleep when Amicia had awoken him. A pinch to the side quickly remedied that, though, and before long the two teens set off back home.

The journey back seemed less tense than the journey there. The silence that they were enveloped in wasn't uncomfortable, instead it was one of peace.

The sun was warm. The breeze was cool. The wildlife chattered around them. They stayed quiet. Everything was balanced, everything felt right. It put a smile on Amicia's face.

Lucas was the one to speak first and break the tranquility.

"We are." He stayed looking ahead of him, refusing to meet Amicia's questioning gaze. She wasn't quite sure what he meant.

She couldn't ask what he meant, though, before he butt back in. He looked somber, sad, when he spoke next. 

"Together, I mean. Melie and I," Another pained look, one of hurt. "You deserve to know." 

Amicia simply stared, dumbfounded at the sudden proclamation. She wasn't sure what had prompted him to say it, but Amicia was grateful he had. She hurt for him more, now, though. He'd lost his adoptive father from the plague already. Now, he'd lose a lover, too. 

Lucas didn't seem to want her to respond, so she didn't. They lasped back into silence all the way back to the chateau.

The well worn path was a comfort to see. Even more so was the castle itself and the double wooden doors that lead inside. Amicia couldn't help but smile upon flinging the doors open. She had missed her brother and friends more than she'd like to admit.

Her smile vanished, though, when she saw nobody in the main room. Not even Melie, who had been confined to bed due to her failing health. Confused, Amicia went about searching for the others. Lucas did the same. Both were panicked and out of breath by the time they met back up in the main room ten minutes later. 

"Where the hell could they be?" Amicia had a feeling of dread crawl up her, skin breaking out into goose flesh when the realization that everyone was missing finally sunk in. 

"I've looked everywhere! I can't find any of them-" Lucas cut off mid-sentence, his eyes which had previously been looking into hers snapped to just behind her. His jaw tensed, face going red, and a thunderous expression took over his features. 

Too afraid to turn around, Amicia kept her body facing Lucas. She could tell by the look of his expression that whatever was behind her wasn't something she'd like to see.

"Lucas? What is it?"

When he refused to answer, Amicia held her breath and quickly spun around to see-

"Nothing. There's nothing, Lucas. What's gotten you so troubled?"

She caught sight of a glimmer of something shiny in her peripheral just as she was turning to address Lucas again. Halting, she stepped closer to examine the necklace hanging on the wall with a note.

Barely a glance at the necklace and Amicia knew it was Hugo's family pendant. It hung off a torch holder, a neatly folden note placed on the metal plate below it.

Her hands shook as she unfold the letter and read it aloud.

"Amicia, Melie's condition got worse the night you left. I'm not sure if it was the rats or how badly the illness is affecting her, but I know that if I do not seek help for her now, then she'll die. Hugo has fallen into a deep sleep that neither I nor Rodric can rouse him from, and I fear for his safety as well. You may not think of him as a good person, Amicia, but I know Lord Nicholas will help. He helped me, afterall, I'm sure he'll help them, too. I've left this note for you so that you know where we will be. Please, upon finding this, come join us. I need to know that you are safe, too. Minnie."

The urge to vomit became too much to bear and sick soon splattered on the ground at her feet, bite clutched tightly in her fist as she heaved. The acid burned her throat and tongue.

"They have Hugo," She whispered mainly to herself. She couldn't believe that after everything she had gone through, after everything she'd done and risked, that Hugo would be delivered into the Inquisition's hands in a matter of hours. 

The sudden dizziness had Amicia stumbling and falling onto the floor in a heap. Her head hurt as she tried to process everything. Could Minnie have wanted this? Could she have waited for her to leave just so that she could go behind her back and sneak Hugo off to the Inquisition? If so, the why leave a letter behind? Was she just so naive that she truly believed Nicholas would help Melie, someone whom he no doubts detests?

"They'll kill her," Lucas sounded hollow when he dropped down beside her, eyes trained on the note still clutched in Amicia's hand. "Melie has the plague, Amicia. If the Inquisition finds that out, she's as good as dead."

Amicia knew this, of course. Nicholas already hated Melie. Her, sick and weak from the plague, being delivered to his doorstep would only be more reason for him to kill her. If not that, then he'd spin a story of how he had to dispose of her, claiming it to be for the greater good, no doubt. 

"Fuck," A single word, uttered almost involuntarily, but it summed up what they both were feeling.

"We've got to go get them back, Amicia." Lucas grabbed ahold of her, shaking her almost violently while he spoke. "We have to go save Melie, Amicia. I will not let that bastard hurt her!"

Lucas was determined to get Melie back to safety, but Amicia, no matter how hard she tried, could not get the same determination to march back into the place where she'd been held captive for weeks. Where she'd been abused by the man she now would have to face again. The thought of seeing him again had vomit climbing back up her throat. 

"I..." Amicia tried not to tremble, but her body shook anyway. She was frightened, scared for not only her brother and friends, but for herself as well. "I don't think I can go back to that place." And she meant it. She wasn't sure how well she'd be able to fight in a place that held such bad memories. 

"You're scared. Sure, I get that. I don't care, though. Pull yourself together, Amicia. If not for Melie then for Hugo. They need you-- He needs you." With that, Lucas stood up and went about the room rummaging for any supplies he could take with him.

Amicia stay on the ground, sick seeping into her trousers and staining the cloth. The smell wasn't helping with her already upset stomach, either. Lucas had been right, she was scared. She was scared that the moment she stepped back into that place she'd be thrown back in time and be forced to relive the past. Or, that she'd be captured and forced to endure more of Nicholas' abuse. All options scared her. One fear outweighed them all, though.

She was afraid of what her brother would endure at the hands of that evil bastard Vitalis. He had an unhealthy obsession with Hugo, that much Amicia knew, but for the life of her she couldn't figure out why. Was it the macula? If so then the bastard could have it! Hugo didn't need that thing inside him. The sooner they could cure it the better. All Amicia wanted was for Hugo and her to finally be safe. For life to go back to normal once more, or, at least a semblance of normal. 

The hesitancy of returning was obvious in every move she made, but soon Amicia was walking back out of the chateau walls with Lucas at her side. They had restocked their alchemy pouches for any fighting they'd have to do. Lucas carried a small dagger on his belt. Amicia had hers hidden in the waist band of her trousers. 

"I'll burn this fucking world to the ground if that bastard has hurt Melie." 

Amicia quietly agreed. She, too, would burn everything to hell if Hugo was hurt or being harmed in any way. Nicholas be damned, she'd face her fears and kill them all if Hugo died as a result of Vitalis' curiosity. That, she swore on her life. 


	8. Announcement

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This is an announcement, not an update. Important information will be disclosed below.

So this story has been on a pretty long break for around 2 months now. My writer's block stopped all motivation of writing and finishing this story almost immediately after I last posted. And while I still have that lack of motivation, I find it very unfair to all the people who've been reading my story and hoping for new updates. 

So I have some good news for those people! I've begun writing chapter 8 and will most likely be posting it within this week. I apologize for the long wait and am thankful for the patience everyone has had. 

This story is drawing to its end and I hope to finish it within another couple of chapters. I won't be updating any of the tags until after the story has ended so that nothing is given away or spoiled. I also took a few tags away that I thought of as insignificant. If you notice a few missing that is why.

On that note, all warnings will now be posted at the ending of the chapter where readers will have to scroll down to find them. The warning themselves will be somewhat of a spoiler and that is why I've decided to move them. Of course, if you still wish to know what you're in for before reading you can always check before hand in the end notes.

Again, thank you for your patience. Be on the lookout for Chapter 8 which will be posted here soon. For now, here is a small teaser.

×××

The silence that stretched between Amicia and Lucas was a heavy one. It wasn't altogether uncomfortable but wasn't too friendly either.

Amicia loathed herself for her weaknesses. She detested her lack of foresight which had gotten her into this shitty situation. If Amicia could go back in time and stop her past self from ever leaving in the first place, she would have. Consequences be damned. 

Golden rays of sunshine bore down on her. The day was a nice one. Not a cloud in sight in the crystal blue sky. The trees were a vibrant green, the wind rustling the leaves as it blew gently through the branches. Everything was peaceful and it pissed Amicia off. 

She wanted rain and black storm clouds. Lightning and thunder. She wanted a churning sky that spewed fat rain droplets and big chunks of icy hail down onto the earth. She wanted the chaos and anger inside of her to be manifested in a physical form. One that destroyed everything in its path. 

The weather stayed the same, however. The sky stayed clear and the weather remained tame. Amicia mood darkened evermore. 

'Just wait,' Amicia thought to herself, 'Just wait until I get my hands around that neck of yours, Nicholas. I'll wring the very life out of you.'


End file.
